AIN & Weapons of Mass Destruction

Several members of the Alliance of Independent Nations have, or claim to have, weapons of mass destruction. These weapons are mostly nuclear arsenals, but some alternative systems may be in development as a replacement to those arsenals. AIN member states tend not to have the capability or have the interest to develop the nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction in general. Chemical and biological weapons in particular, have been unoficially, but universially banned by members.

While two AIN nations have reluctantly agreed to disclose their arsenals (Galbadia and the Atlantic Federation), a few others have released little to no information on their nuclear capabilities. Some AIN nations are believed to have or be developing weapons of mass destruction, against the will of the overwhelming majority of member states. There are no Alliance enforced requirements and regulations on Weapons of Mass Destruction. Furthermore, regulation of nuclear technologies has been fiercely opposed even by countries which make strictly civil use of the technology. With over 80% of its electricity coming from nuclear power, Teiko has stated its concerns on any attempts to regulate nuclear energy production. The Atlantic Federation, AIN's biggest economy by GDP, also deverives 76% of its electricity from nuclear powerplants and has heavily invested in the civil aspect of the technology, despite being a declared operators of nuclear weapons.

Weapons of Mass Destruction are a matter of controversy in the Alliance, especially after the L.O.K.I. System (developed by Illium's INSC) incident. Illium claims it is not a mass destruction capable system while experts from other AIN nations have claimed the system is not operational at all, with the incident possibly having been staged as a way to intimidate other major powers in the Alliance as Illium moves to get rid of its nuclear arsenal.

[[undefined|Arriola]]
The Aranese nuclear weapons program originated in the establishment of the Estat Fighting a costly colonial war in Africa and facing opposition at home, the Estat Aranés found itself increasingly ostracized in the international community, leading to the state to establish closer ties with Francoist Spain, the Estado Novo in Portugal, and Apartheid South Africa. The regime's flirtation with fascist rhetoric alienated Arriola from the members of NATO, while it's anti-Communist tendencies led to tense relations with the Soviet Union and members of the Warsaw Pact. This double threat to the regime pushed it to seek more extreme options to ensure it's existence between the two major blocs. The Aranese nuclear weapons program was started in 1955, in which Arriola cooperated extensively with South Africa to procure a nuclear weapon. The program was hastened by the beginning of the Italian nuclear weapons program, fully backed by the United States.

The situation changed considerably with the signing of the Pact of Madrid, between Arriola, Spain, and the United States. In three separate agreements, the United States agreed to provide Arriola with significant amounts of economic and military aid (up to $2.450 billion in loans and grants) and dozens of American specialists training Aranese personnel, in exchange for Arriola allowing to the US to construct and utilize a group of air and naval bases in Eastern Arriola. Economic reforms encouraged by the United States led to the beginning of the Aranese economic miracle, in which Arriola began to catch up with the other Western European nations economically. Relations with the NATO countries warmed considerably, leading to Arriola's shift towards the Western Bloc and clandestine support for Arriola's missile program. Arriola launched its first ballistic missile, Ona, on 11 August 1969. With the fall of the regime in 1974, the Socialist government made an extensive and very controversial effort to maintain Arriola's nuclear capabilities. In the early 1970's Arriola's economy struggled to finance the facilities, caused in part by the economic malaise and capital flight following the Leftist Rose Revolution. Political changes in Aranese circles following the Revolution eventually led to Arriola's withdrawal from NATO in 1982, and renewed interest in maintaining an effective deterrence to international intervention. Arriola's nuclear stockpile was greatly overhauled and upgraded in the late 1980s, as the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc became apparent and Arriola was left without a major backer. Following the full turn to democracy Arriola went on to deactivate the vast majority of it's nuclear stockpile in a gesture of friendship towards other European states.

The Aranese Community currently has no chemical or biological weapons, since having destroyed such stockpiles in the 1980s.

[[undefined|Atlantic Federation]]
Though the Atlantic Federation did not seek to develop its own weapons of mass destruction, it was forced to host American-owned and operated nuclear facilities starting in 1959. It was also part of the conditions for the Atlantic Programme, a plan of aid and investment spearheaded by the United States to "fend off Communism in the Veratlantean islands". Some believe this is one of the reasons that lead the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The Red Feast Scandal, discovered by Northern Veratlantian intelligence groups acting independently out of concern for the growing influence of the Soviet Union in the region.

Because of the discoveries made by the United States, starting in 1965, the Americans modernized and expanded its nuclear capability in the Veratlantic Archipelago to respond to the Soviet Union's capacity in Galbadia. In order to avoid a surge in tensions with the Soviet Union like that of the Cuban missile crisis, the United States and other Western Nations officially signed a pact with the Atlantic Federation to transfer the ownership and operatio to the Veratlanteans. This was part of a secret plan nicknamed "The Lift": an extensive programme to develop the U.V.S. (A.F.) economically, with the intention of stopping the spread of Communism in the region. The United States did maintain a signficant grip on the Veratlantean Nuclear Program for the next 10 years while successfully leading the Soviet Union to think that it no longer influenced Veratlantean technology and policy. This period in Veratlantean history is known as the "Mima-Mima", translated to English as "The Spoiling of the Blue Lady". This was a period in the mid-70's in which both the United States and Soviet Union sought arm and fund the Atlantic Federation. The Veratlantean government did sign, however, another secret agreement with the U.S. authorizing the A.F. to receive Soviet weapons provided the Atlantic Federation surrendered all technology transfered by the Soviets to the CIA. This caused the Soviet Union to quickly shy away from coopearting with the A.F. - an increasingly Westernized nation.

During the 1970's, the Atlantic Federation entered a period known as Tricolour Reforms, under president Marianne Richard.

After years of economic support, and lobby, and the rise of Marianne Richard to power in 1974, the Americans and the Veratlanteans reached a definitive deal in which the Americans would hand-on their military installations and nuclear weaponry in Veratlantean soil to the official control of the Atlantic Federation, and the Atlantic Federation would surrender Soviet weaponry to the Americans for purposes of analysis and technological espionage and declare its support for the Americans to the World, becoming a formal ally of the U.S. It is also because of the large volume of unused nuclear material at its disposal that the Atlantic Federation started developing an extensive Nuclear Energy programme, similar to that of France, since its industry and cities needed more and more energy, as the country saw sharp rises in development and urban population growth. It was part of a measure to reduce electricity costs in the long term, to build dozens of nuclear power plants to supply the Atlantic Federation with much needed cheap power.

The struggle between Soviets and Americans is said to have been fundamental in the development of the Atlantic Federation as a whole. The politics of hosting and operating nuclear weapons in exchange for economic aid and lower trade barriers have greatly contributed to the A.F.'s economic miracle in the 1970's. The continued economic growth and the closing ties with the West enable the Atlantic Federation to continue improving and developing its own military through the 1980's and 1990's as it increasingly became a westernized MDC. Today, being the largest economy in the Alliance, the Atlantic Federation in cooperation with Galbadia is able to maintain and operate a nuclear triad and its state-of-the-art ATLAS system, a complex aerospace and ballistic defense network partially operated by Galbadia involving land, sea and air units. The Atlantic Federation has stuck to its promise to keep a relatively low number of operational warheads online, while maintaining a stockpile comparable to France's.

The Atlantic Federation claims to have no chemical or biological weapons, though the government refuses to let independent inspection teams confirm the inexistence of chemical weapons in three of its military bases. The Atlantic Federation claims there is no need to examine the facilities, and that they hold trade and industrial secrets in those locations.

[[undefined|Carolina]]
Carolina is one of a handful of nuclear armed states which are defined under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but does not posses any kind of chemical or biological weapons. The nation began its nuclear programme under President Thurmond as means to assert Carolinas influence in the Cold War era. The first bomb was tested in 1950 in the Marshall Islands alongside the United States. However, following the Cuban Missile Crisis, Carolina began to rapidly develop the weapons, in order to provide a deterrent and defense from a potential Cuban conflict. Carolina reportedly retains around 250 nuclear weapons in a stockpile.

Carolina did not sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which gave it the option to conduct further nuclear tests until it signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Carolina does not currently have chemical weapons and ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 1995, as well as acceding to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in 1984. Carolina had also ratified the Geneva Protocol in 1926.

[[undefined|Hiigara]]
Hiigara is the Alliance's most populous nation, and it was previously under Soviet influence. Because of its immense military capabilities and the proximity to the ex-USSR, Hiigara is believed to still hold some nuclear capabilities, refusing to give up control like Ukraine. Nobody and no organization has claimed that Hiigara has operational chemical and biological weapons today, though it is believed to have the knowledge to produce them.

[[undefined|Illium]]
Illium has disclosed public evidence that the Empire has tested Nuclear Weapons with American and British oversight, on 3 May 1956. Illium also claims to have a nuclear stockpile, and to be reducing its arsenal, strongly criticing other nations for not reducing theirs. It is known that Illium has a highly advanced aerospace complex, being the AIN nation that has dared the furthest in space exploration. Illium's advanced space and missile technology supports theories that it indeed is able to operate a nuclear triad (land, air and sea based missiles). The Illium National Space Contigency agency (INSC) was founded as early as 1959, and since then has accumulated significant civil and military technology. It is also known that there is cooperation between the Illium Royal Navy and the INSC, further supporting the triad thesis. Illium did announce that it is dedicated to reducing its nuclear arsenal to zero, demonstrating a lack of interest in nuclear weapons after the dawn of the 21st century.

Its alternative projects, however, came under heavy criticism from several AIN members in a few episodes. There are also those who doubt the effectiveness of Illian systems, with some analysts going as far as stating the some of the tests were merely "a bluff" or "staged", and that the Kingdom often overstates its military capacity as an active and assertive method of diplomacy. Illium's capable, highly advanced and well trained air-force, however, confirm that Illium's commitment to its military is real, as far as conventional military technology goes. It is possible that Illium uses the INSC to develop very advanced technologies to its conventional military. Galbadia and Illium have traded and collaborated on several occasions on that front, but both nations are silent when it comes to cooperation with weapons of mass destruction, with Galbadia being known to be an allied of the Atlantic Federation.

In a 2016 press release, the INSC described the L.O.K.I. (Low Orbit Kinetic Interdiction) System, as "a first-strike tactical weapons platform. It uses guided multi-piece tungsten rods to penetrate the deepest bunker. Within the rods themselves are some of the most powerful explosives known to mankind." - claiming that there is no way to stop an attack from the said system. This was greeted with many protests from several non-nuclear nations in the Alliance, with several specialits claiming the weapon was not viable (thus denying its true nature and capability). Other major powers responded with silence. The press-release is believed to have motivated the Atlantic Federation to fully include Galbadia in the ATLAS Programme that same year.

The alledged failure of the L.O.K.I. System to properly demonstrate its power resulted in several civilians dead during a demonstration by the INSC, which created legal problems for the Project in Illium and resulted in a halt of development for re-evaluation.

Illium is not a signatory of any agreements on the demilitarization of Space, and instead has demonstrated great interest in replacing nuclear technology with space-based impact-missiles. . Illium's use of space and research into weaponization of civil sattelites has angered many AIN member states, though it remains adamant on the position that these are not weapons of mass-destruction.

Illium is believed not to have active chemical or biological weapons at the present.

[[undefined|Lower Columbia]]
Lower Columbia, despite its advanced and well funded military, did not public demonstrate interest in the development of weapons of mass destruction. The Federal Kingdom maintains one of the most expressive military forces in the Alliance, however.

[[undefined|Nakama]]
Nakama has developed its nuclear technology since 1950s and has been used it as one of main national power sources. Despite of the development of Nuclear technology, Nakama does not possess any nuclear based weapons as it for today. In 1984 public questioning the high fund allocation toward military as the rumor that the country currently developing a nuclear based weapon. The rumor came up as its one of the time during middle of cold war and Nakama have a tendency to develop its own nuclear warhead. As a response to it, Nakama Minister of Defense, Yamagata Mitsuzuka said that Nakama doesn't possessed any nuclear based weapon and have no interested on developing it.

Despite its low military activities and its neutrality on world politics, Nakama has a significantly high budget for military since 1970 until 2009 when Prime Minister Aki Fukuzawa decide to cut it into only 1.6% of national budget from the previous 4.4%. This high budget create assumption for the public of the reason why the government spend a lot on the military while Nakama not having any significant activities which is to develop some sort of weapon technology which remains in secret. In addition after 2009 budget cut, Nakama 2.7% of national expenditure moved for the special national research and development under the National Security.

One of the conspiracy theory in Nakama said that Nakama currently developing non-nuclear based weapon of mass destruction and some sort of technology including using human as a weapon using the disclosed national budget. Restricted research facilites such as Hoshinoumi Science Center being used to develop this technology. However this theory remains unproven as of 2017 as there is lack of evidence for such development in Nakama.

[[undefined|New Duveland]]
New Duveland has extensive history in nuclear, biological and chemical weapon research and development, however does not possess any weapons of mass destruction. New Duveland is a member of the Australia Group, an informal grouping of countries that seek to minimise the risk of assisting chemical and biological weapon proliferation. All states participating in the Australia Group are parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention, and strongly support efforts under those Conventions to rid the world of chemical and biological weapons. As with chemical and biological weapons, New Duveland does not possess nuclear weapons and is not at all known to be seeking to develop them.

New Duveland conducted extensive research into chemical weapons during World War II. Although New Duveland has never produced chemical weapons, it did stockpile chemical weapons sourced from the USA and Britain. Chemical weapons known to have been stockpiled included mustard gas, phosgene, lewisite, adamsite and CN gas. After World War II, the chemical weapons were disposed of by burning, venting (for phosgene) or by dumping at sea. Some 15,360 tons of chemical weapons were dumped in the seas off New Duveland near Tasbury, Esperance and Cascade.

In the early 1950s, the United Kingdom and France tested a total of 2 nuclear weapons on New Duveland soil, (one each), within 10km of Onauku Island and over the remote Chesterfield Islands respectively. Due to the resulting fallout, although minimal, the Governments of the then pre-union New Duveland and the Realm of Laperouse signed an agreement making the entire island and all it's territories a nuclear-free zone.

[[undefined|Poemia]]
Poemia and Siculia have briefly demonstrated interest in developing weapons of mass destruction after the L.O.K.I. system announcement, but both nations are considered free of such weapons by most, if not all AIN members.

[[undefined|Siculia]]
Siculia's nuclear program developed in 1960 with the principal aim of defending and protecting the nation. Nuclear testing began in 1962 and Siculia gets its first atomic bomb in 1965. In 1972 Siculia had a full nuclear triad. Towards the end of 1993 Siculia had a nuclear arsenal of 200 nuclear bombs. Also in 1993 Siculia signs the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty and in 1994. In 1996 Siculia total nuclear test ban treaty signing. In 2000 starts the phase of dismantling of nuclear warheads is 100 by the end of 2010 Siculia certifies to have 100 nuclear weapons by type sea and air. Nuclear energy in Siculia is used as an energy source that can satisfy almost 85% of national needs and there are appearances by rich deposits of uranium present in the national territory. Siculia is currently developing new nuclear reactors to improve independence from fossil fuels and the safety of nuclear power plants are in Siculia. Siculia has not developed and does not have any biological and chemical weapon although it has the means to create these types of bombs.