Israeli nuclear program
| Israel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nuclear program start date | 1948–1949 |
| First nuclear weapon test | Unknown; Partner in early French testing 1960, reported local Israeli underground test 1963, suspected in Vela Incident 1979, per BAS "If the 1979 flash was caused by a test, most experts agree it was probably an Israeli test" |
| First fusion weapon test | Unknown |
| Last nuclear test | Unknown |
| Largest yield test | Unknown |
| Total tests | Unknown |
| Current stockpile (usable and not) | estimated 75–400 warheads |
| Current strategic arsenal | Unknown |
| Cumulative strategic arsenal in megatonnage | Unknown |
| Maximum missile range | Unknown (estimated up to 11,500 km) |
| NPT party | No |
Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, with an estimated arsenal of up to 400 warheads; which would make it the world's third biggest arsenal. Its first deliverable nuclear weapon was allegedly created in December 1966; which would make it the sixth country in the world to have developed them.
However, Israel has never officially denied nor admitted to having nuclear weapons, instead repeating over the years that it would not be the first country to "introduce" nuclear weapons to the Middle East. Israel has also refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) despite international pressure to do so, saying that would be contrary to its national security interests.
Additionally, Israel has made extensive efforts to deny other regional actors the ability to acquire their own nuclear weapons. The counter-proliferation, preventive strike Begin Doctrine added another dimension to Israel's existing nuclear policy. Israel remains the only country in the Middle East believed to possess them.
Israel started investigating the nuclear field soon after its founding in 1948 and with French support secretly began building the Negev Nuclear Research Center, a facility near Dimona housing a nuclear reactor and reprocessing plant in the late 1950s.
The first extensive details of the weapons program came in October 5, 1986, with news coverage of information provided by Mordechai Vanunu, a technician formerly employed at the Negev Nuclear Research Center. Vanunu was later kidnapped by the Mossad and brought back to Israel, where he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for treason and espionage.
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Wikipedia