As the U.S. turns its back on security commitments, Germany faces a profound shift in its post-war defense policy. Can it still rely on France and the UK?
Germany is at a crossroads when it comes to its security policy — one of the deepest upheavals of the post-War era.
Germany still has some research reactors running. But for enrichment you don’t need a reactor, gas diffusion and centrifuges are also options. There should be enough fuel left to enrich enough uranium for at least some bombs. So it should be possible without too much reliance on external partners.
It would take longer and use more energy but the boom is the same in the end.
Did Germany ever have a breeder/dual use reactor? If not you’d have to build one first anyway and i bet that takes longer than building a shitton of centrifuges.
And isn’t the issue with a credible nuclear deterrence the delivery and second strike capability anyway? Germany would need submarines and icbms too.
Germany still has some research reactors running. But for enrichment you don’t need a reactor, gas diffusion and centrifuges are also options. There should be enough fuel left to enrich enough uranium for at least some bombs. So it should be possible without too much reliance on external partners.
You can improvise a few test bombs that way, but that is not a credible nuclear deterrence.
Why not? Plutonium supremacy? ;)
It would take longer and use more energy but the boom is the same in the end. Did Germany ever have a breeder/dual use reactor? If not you’d have to build one first anyway and i bet that takes longer than building a shitton of centrifuges.
And isn’t the issue with a credible nuclear deterrence the delivery and second strike capability anyway? Germany would need submarines and icbms too.
Germany build a fully complete breeder reactor and then decided to never turn it on. It is a theme park now.
The Kernwasser-Wunderland - I actually life somewhat close to it. Never been there though…