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 of 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.

AIN Member States & the Operation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Galbadia

Galbadia was aligned with the Soviet Union during most of the Cold War, eventually being the stage of a socialist revolution. As such, it hosted Soviet-operated nuclear weapons since the 1960's. This program went undiscovered until the Red Feast Alianta Scandal - a diplomatic incident involving the capture of a Soviet spy in the Atlantic Federation by local U.S. aligned intelligence officers acting independently.

After that scandal, both the United States and the Soviet Union got explicit confirmation that they were arming Veratlantic nations. Because of the United State's knowledge of their activities in Galbadia, the Soviet Union transferred technology and responsibility to the Galbadian regime in a move to excuse itself from the incident, though maintaining a "soft-control" policy known as Predlozheniye Politika (Policy of Suggestion) - in which the Soviet Union would "suggest" changes and deployment status to Galbadian operators.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, Galbadia made an extensive and very controversial effort to maintain its nuclear capabilities. In the early 1990's, Galbadia's socialist economy struggled to finance the facilities, contributing to the constitutional crisis that reshaped the country in 1993. At the expense of many social programes, Galbadia did not cut funding to its military, instead investing in its military complex. Galbadia sought to share its Soviet technology with its imediate neighbors, but received an ultimatum from the United States prohibiting it from sharing its technology with other countries under the threat of economic sanctions. An exception was made in 1998, when Galbadians finalized a 3 year long negotiation with the Atlantic Federation, establishing a comprehensive military alliance that would involve radar integration, joint airspace protocols and sharing of technologies approved by the United States. The Military School of the University of Galiston claims that it was thanks to Veratlantean funding that Galbadia managed to keep its Soviet inheritance operational. Today, Galbadia's military industry is profitable and independent from government aid. Galbadia exports ordinary weapon systems and military technology to several AIN Nations, but the Atlantic Federation, Cattala and Corraile are the only two nations authorized to buy or exchange technologies with potential for mass destruction.

As of November 2012, the Federation of American Scientists estimated that Galbadia has approximately 120 deployed strategic warheads, and another 153 nondeployed strategic warheads and approximately 50 tactical nuclear warheads. Galbadia Ground Forces controls its land-based nuclear warheads, while the Galbadia Maritime Defence Force controls the submarine based missiles and the Galbadia Air Defence Force the air-launched warheads. Galbadia's nuclear warheads are deployed in four areas:

Land-based immobile (silos), like LGM-30 Minuteman. Land-based mobile, like P-3 Patriota, P-4 Pioneer and the canceled P-5 Paz. Submarine based, like SLNM-1. Air-launched warheads of the GADF's Long Range Aviation Command.

Galbadia declares no chemical or biological weapons of any sort.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Carolina

Carolina 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. Carolina does operate a significant military force in the North Atlantic though direct competition with Veratlantic nations (Galbadia, Ascadylea and the A.F.) has been successfully avoided, with tensions in the region being virtually unexisting.

Declared Nuclear Powers (World)

Suspected Nuclear Powers (World)