How America’s Nuclear Arsenal Works — And Why It’s Designed to Survive Even a Massive First Strike

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Inside America’s nuclear arsenal: thousands of warheads, ICBMs, ballistic missile submarines and bombers. Here’s how the nuclear triad works and why survivability is its central purpose.

America’s nuclear arsenal is built around one central idea: deterrence. With thousands of nuclear warheads spread across land-based ICBMs, ballistic missile submarines and strategic bombers, the U.S. maintains what is known as the nuclear triad. In this video, we break down how many warheads America has, how the Minuteman III, Trident II and nuclear-capable bombers deliver them, what W76, W88, W87 and B61 weapons are, and the basic physics behind modern thermonuclear warheads. Most importantly, we explain why the triad is designed around survivability — ensuring that even a devastating first strike cannot eliminate the United States’ ability to retaliate.

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How America’s Nuclear Arsenal Works — And Why It’s Designed to Survive Even a Massive First Strike

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