Let's say the US balkanizes, becomes decentralized and finally stateless. What to do with the nukes that were left over? Who controls them if there's no central power? Obviously, there should just be no nukes, but let's say other countries that are still states have them, so would it be prudent to denuclearize?

  • AcidSmiley [she/her]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Nukes are very resource intensive to maintain. Without maintenance the warheads decay until they’re not able to achieve critical mass. I think it takes about twenty years. So one answer is you could just wait a few decades and the nukes would no longer be viable as nukes.

    btw this may have been one of the main reasons for the reduction of the USA's and USSR's stockpiles towards the end of the Cold War. Maintaining an arsenal as large as theirs must be a pain in the ass.