McDonnell Douglas X-36

The X-36 was built to 28% scale of a possible fighter aircraft, and controlled by a pilot in a ground station virtual cockpit with a view provided by a video camera mounted in the nose of the aircraft.
For control, a canard forward of the wing was used as well as split ailerons and an advanced thrust vectoring nozzle for directional control. The X-36 was unstable in both pitch and yaw axes, so an advanced digital fly-by-wire control system was put in place to stabilize the aircraft.
First flown on May 17, 1997, it made 31 successful research flights. It handled very well, and the program is reported to have met or exceeded all project goals.
The aircraft is sometimes referred to as the Boeing X-36 as the test program was still in progress when McDonnell Douglas merged with the Boeing Company. In the adjoining photograph it is carrying Boeing markings.

NASA X-38

The X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) was a prototype for a wingless lifting body reentry vehicle that was to be used as a Crew Return Vehicle for the International Space Station (ISS). The X-38 was developed to the point of a drop test vehicle before its development was cancelled in 2002 due to budget cuts

The crew size for the ISS depends upon the crew return capability: the crew is limited to three because the Russian Soyuz TMA vehicle that will remain docked to the ISS can only hold three people. Since it is imperative that the crew members be able to return to Earth if there is a medical emergency or if other complications arise, a Crew Return Vehicle able to hold up to seven crew members was planned from the outset: this would have allowed the full complement of seven astronauts to live and work onboard the ISS. NASA has designed several crew return vehicles over the years with varying levels of detail.

General Dynamics F-16XL

The wing and rear horizontal control surfaces were replaced with a cranked-arrow delta wing 120% larger than the original wing. Extensive use of carbon fiber composites allowed the savings of 600 lb (270 kg) of weight but the F-16XL was still 2,800 lb (1300 kg) heavier than the original F-16A.
Less noticeable is that the fuselage was lengthened by 56 in (1.4 m) by the addition of 2 sections at the joints of the main fuselage sub-assemblies. With the new wing design, the tail section had to be canted up 3°, and the ventral fins removed, to prevent them from striking the pavement during takeoff and landing. However, as the F-16XL exhibits greater stability than the native F-16, these changes were not detrimental to the handling of the aircraft.

F-106 Delta Dart

The F-106 served in the continental USA, Alaska, and Iceland, as well as brief periods in Germany and South Korea. The F-106 was the second highest sequentially numbered P/F- aircraft to enter service under the old number sequence, before the system was reset under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. In service, the F-106's official name, "Delta Dart," was rarely used, and the aircraft was universally known simply as the "Six."
Although contemplated for use in Vietnam, it never saw combat, nor was it exported to foreign users. After initial teething problems were resolved, in particular, an ejection seat that killed the first 12 pilots to eject from the aircraft its exceptional performance made it very popular with its pilots. Air-to-air combat testing suggested the "Six" was a reasonable match for the F-4 Phantom II in a dogfight, with superior high-altitude turn performance and overall maneuverability (aided by the aircraft's lower wing loading), although pilots conceded the Phantom had better radar and missiles. The F-4 also featured a greater missile capacity than the F-106, featured a higher thrust/weight ratio, superior climb performance, and better high speed/low-altitude maneuverability.

SR-71 Blackbird

The SR-71 designator is a continuation of the pre-1962 bomber series, which ended with the XB-70 Valkyrie. During the later period of its testing, the B-70 was proposed for a reconnaissance/strike role, with an RS-70 designation. When it was clear that the A-12 performance potential was much greater, the Air Force ordered a variant of the A-12 in December 1962. Originally named R-12, the Air Force version was longer and heavier than the A-12. Its fuselage was lengthened for additional fuel capacity to increase range. Its cockpit included a second seat and the chines were reshaped. Reconnaissance equipment included signals intelligence sensors, a side-looking radar and a photo camera. The CIA's A-12 remained a better reconnaissance platform than the Air Force's R-12, however, especially since the A-12 flew higher and faster, and with only one pilot it had room to carry a superior camera and more instruments.During the 1964 campaign, Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater continually criticized President Lyndon B. Johnson and his administration for falling behind the Soviet Union in the research and development of new weapons systems. Johnson decided to counter this criticism by announcing the YF-12A Air Force interceptor (which also served as cover for the still-secret A-12) and, on 25 July 1964, the Air Force reconnaissance model. Air Force Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation and wanted the RS-71 to be named SR-71. Before the July speech, LeMay lobbied to modify Johnson's speech to read SR-71 instead of RS-71. The media transcript given to the press at the time still had the earlier RS-71 designation in places, creating the myth that the president had misread the aircraft's designation.This public disclosure of the program and its renaming came as a shock to everyone at the Skunk Works and to Air Force personnel involved in the program. All of the printed maintenance manuals, flight crew handbooks, training slides and materials were labeled "R-12" and the 18 June 1965 Certificates of Completion issued by the Skunk Works to the first Air Force Flight Crews and their Wing Commander were labeled "R-12 Flight Crew Systems Indoctrination, Course VIII". Following Johnson's speech the name change was taken as an order from the Commander-in-Chief, and immediate reprinting began of new materials, including 29,000 blueprints, to be retitled "SR-71

F-15 S/MTD

The aircraft used in the S/MTD program has flown several times since the successful S/MTD program completion in 1991 that used vectored thrust and canard foreplanes to improve low-speed performance. This aircraft tested high-tech methods for operating from a short runway. This F-15 was part of an effort to improve ABO (Air Base Operability), the survival of warplanes and fighting capability at airfields under attack.
The F-15 S/MTD tested ways to land and take off from wet, bomb-damaged runways. The aircraft used a combination of reversible engine thrust, jet nozzles that could be deflected by 20 degrees, and canard foreplanes. Pitch vectoring/reversing nozzles and canard foreplanes were fitted to the F-15 in 1988. NASA acquired the plane in 1993 and replaced the engines with Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engines with Pitch/Yaw vectoring nozzles. The canard foreplanes were derived from the F/A-18's stabilator.
Prior to 1991, when McDonnell Douglas ended its program after accomplishing their flight objectives, the F-15 STOL/MTD plane achieved some impressive performance results

Rockwell-MBB X-31

Two X-31s were built, with the first flying on October 11, 1990. Over 500 test flights were carried out between 1990 and 1995. The X-31 featured fixed strakes along the aft fuselage, as well as a pair of movable computer-controlled canards to increase stability and maneuverability. There are no horizontal tail surfaces, only the vertical fin with rudder. Pitch and yaw are controlled by the three paddles directing the exhaust (thrust vectoring). Eventually, simulation tests on one of the X-31s showed that flight would have been stable had the plane been designed without the vertical fin, because the thrust-vectoring nozzle provided sufficient yaw and pitch control.

The X-31 showing its three thrust vectoring paddles.
During flight testing, the X-31 aircraft established several milestones. On November 6, 1992, the X-31 achieved controlled flight at a 70-degree angle of attack. On April 29, 1993, the second X-31 successfully executed a rapid minimum-radius, 180-degree turn using a post-stall maneuver, flying well beyond the aerodynamic limits of any conventional aircraft. This revolutionary maneuver has been called the "Herbst maneuver" after Dr. Wolfgang Herbst, an MBB employee and proponent of using post-stall flight in air-to-air combat. Herbst was the designer of the Rockwell SNAKE, which formed the basis for the X-31

Orbiter

The Orbiter Mini UAV System Is a compact and lightweight system designed for use in Military and Homeland Security missions. The system presents the ultimate solution for Over The Hill reconnaissance missions, Low Intensity Conflicts and Urban warfare operations as well as any close range ISR mission.Aeronautics Defense Systems, makers of the record-breaking Aerostar Tactical UAV, with over 20,000 operational flight hours to its credit, now bring you the Orbiter mini UAV for close Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions.The Orbiter mini UAV provides field commanders with near-instant "over the hill" reconnaissance capability, and is easily controlled in either Waypoints Navigation or Camera Guidance (UAV slaved to camera) modes. The Orbiter System can be transported, assembled, launched and operated by just two persons after minimal training. The entire Orbiter System fits into one backpack and no additional personnel need to befielded.
Assembled in less than 10 minutes, the Orbiter is launched by a catapult ensuring easy and safe takeoff. The Orbiter navigates to its programmed reconnaissance flight area. The onboard avionics can be programmed during flight as well as before flight

Aerostar

Since its introduction in 2000, the Aerostar has broken several world records and set unprecedented standards for reliability, life cycle, ease of operation, logistics, endurance, operational range, payload options, ground systems interfaces, cost-effectiveness, and more. Currently operational in four continents, the Aerostar was chosen by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to perform its routine security missions and within only 18 months logged in excess of 10,000 operational flight hours. The system's performance and reliability has proven to be unrivaled in its category. A multi-mission system capable of carrying various payloads. the Aerostar enjoys the flexibility of operating as a stand alone, or engaging as a relay station within larger set-ups. allowing for a seamless integration into a comprehensive system of systems and existing customer set-ups. Furthermore, the system's virtual communication features and flexible interfaces allow the users to maThe Aerostar Tactical UAV system is specifically designed to operate in the modem battlefield, providing each component of the operation with the systems' entire array of capabilities. Field units are equipped with RPCS units for receiving and controlling the Aerostar throughout its operation in real-time- This provides field commanders with online updates of the battle and allows them to personally influence the system and adjust to recently occurred situations. Moreover, military command can receive the battlefield data accurately and in its entirety to their headquarters, all in real time, providing the appropriate personnel with the ultimate tool for making the right decisionsximize their capabilities

Aerolight

The Aerolight UAV is a close range and training UAV platform developed and manufactured by Aeronautics Defense Systems. It is used for close range ISR missions, training, and testing of experimental payloads. InAddition to a conventional wheeled Take Off & Landing capabilities, The system can be launched by a catapult and can be recovered by a precision Para-foil recovery system. The system is in use by the Israeli AirForce, the US Navy and additional customers worldwide.

Advanced Avionics package
State of the art Payloads: Hight resolution Color CCD Stabilized Payload Night Sensor (optional)
Advanced Data Link system
Accurate Navigation capability: GPS + Inertial Navigation System (INS) Real Time Video and Telemetry data transmission
Extremely low accoustic signature - Silent operation

Bardehlas Tank

The oldest of the IDF APCs is the M-113, it was developed and manufactured in the United States in the 60s, and its purpose was to bring troops to and from battle- returning them efficiently, and protecting them. Its official IDF name is the “Bardelas” but soldiers call it the M-113 or “Zelda” (named after an armor addition) or simply “The APC”. They first arrived in Israel in 1972, although most APCs of this type were acquired through American aid in the Yom Kippur War. The M-113 was intended to replace the antiquated armored vehicles which the IDF was using at the time, which were partly exposed, and were an easy target for hostile fire. The M-113 has many advantages. Among them: excellent maneuvering capabilities in difficult terrain, compatibility for air transport, and amphibious capabilities. The IDF M-113 has undergone various upgrades, in order to improve its resistance to hazardous materials, and to protect it from anti-tank fire, IEDs, and machine-gun fire. Among the many special models of the APC is the armored ambulance, a version with additional protection against anti-tank missiles. Changes have been made which enable it to participate in urban warfare, and to keep the peace. The APC serves in almost all of the combat units of the IDF, in virtually all of the action areas, alongside other advanced APCs. As time progresses, the M-113 is slowly leaving the front lines, being replaced by more advanced models, and is joining the reservist units. The M-113 took part in the Yom Kippur War, in Operation Peace for Galilee, in campaigns in Lebanon, and in the regions of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Apart from the M-113, the IDF has various other APCs which are based on tank bodies; heavy APCs.

Merkava Tank

The is the main battle tank of the Israel Defense Forces. Since the early 1980s, four main versions have been deployed. The "Merkava" name was derived from the IDF's development program name.
It is optimized for crew survival and rapid repair of battle damage. Through the use of spaced-armor techniques and quick-replacement modular designs, the design team was able to incorporate composite armor, a derivative of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) and Chobham armour. Additionally, the space between the inner and outer hulls is filled with diesel fuel—an economical storage method and a means of defeating HEAT rounds.
Following the model of contemporary self-propelled howitzers, the turret assembly is located nearer the rear than in most main battle tanks. This gives the crew additional protection against a frontal attack by putting the engine between them and the attack. This arrangement also creates more space in the rear of the tank that allows increased storage capacity, as well as a rear entrance to the main crew compartment allowing easy access even under enemy fire. This allows the tank to be used as a platform for medical disembarkation, a forward command and control station, and an armored personnel carrier. The rear entrance's clamshell-style doors provide overhead protection when off- and on-loading cargo and personnel.

White phosphorus

White phosphorus (WP) is a flare- and smoke-producing agent and an incendiary agent that is made from a common allotrope of the chemical element phosphorus. The main utility of white phosphorus munitions is to create smokescreens to mask movement from the enemy, or to mask his fire. In contrast to other smoke-causing munitions, WP burns quickly causing an instant bank of smoke. As a result of this, WP munitions are very common -- particularly as smoke grenades for infantry; loaded in defensive grenade dischargers on tanks and other armored vehicles; or as part of the ammunition allotment for artillery or mortars.
However, white phosphorus has a secondary effect. While much less efficient than ordinary fragmentation effects in causing casualties, white phosphorus burns quite fiercely and can set cloth, fuel, ammunition and other combustibles on fire. It also can function as an anti-personnel weapon with the compound capable of causing serious burns or death. The agent is used in bombs artillery, and mortars, short-range missiles which burst into burning flakes of phosphorus upon impact. White phosphorus is commonly referred to in military jargon as "WP". The slang term "Willy(ie) Pete" or "Willy(ie) Peter", dating from World War I and common at least through the Vietnam War, is still used by infantry and artillery servicemen to refer to white phosphorus.
White phosphorus weapons are controversial today because of their potential use against civilians. While the Chemical Weapons Convention does not designate WP as a chemical weapon, various groups consider it to be one. In recent years, the United States, Israel, Sri Lanka and Russia have used white phosphorus in combat.
The United States' use of white phosphorus in Iraq in the Iraq War has resulted in considerable controversy among critics of the war. Initial field reports referred to white phosphorus use against insurgents, but its use was officially denied until November 2005, when the Department of Defense admitted to the use of white phosphorus while stating that its use for producing obscuring smoke is legal and does not violate the CWC. A DoD spokesman has also admitted that WP "was used as an incendiary weapon against enemy combatants", though not against civilians

Tank

A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and tacticaloffensive and defensive capabilities. Firepower is normally provided by a large-calibre main gun in a rotating turret and secondary machine guns, while heavy armor and all-terrain mobility provide protection for the tank and its crew, allowing it to perform all primary tasks of the armoured troops on the battlefield
Tanks were first introduced by the British during World War Ias a means to break the deadlock of trench warfare. They were first deployed at the Battle of Somme in limited numbers. During construction, to conceal their true identity as weapons, they were designated as water carriers for the Mesopotamian campaign and referred to as "tanks" (as in "water tank").
Interwar developments in both design and tactics evolved during World War II, producing important concepts of armoured warfare which persist to this day and were prominently displayed during World War II. The Soviet Union introduced the T-34, one of the best tanks in service throughout the war and one of the forerunners to the main battle tank. Germany introduced blitzkrieg, a strategy which makes use of massed concentrations of tanks supported by artillery and air power to break through the enemy front to surround enemy forces and accomplish objectives.

F-15 Eagle

The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. Developed for the United States Air Force, it first flew in July 1972, and is one of the most recognized modern fighters. The F-15 is expected to remain in service until 2025. Despite originally being envisaged as a pure air superiority aircraft, the design proved flexible enough that an all-weather strike derivative, the F-15E Strike Eagle, was later developed, and entered service in 1989.

B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered, strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1955.
Beginning with the successful contract bid on 5 June 1946, the B-52 went through several design steps; from a straight wing aircraft powered by six turboprop engines to the final prototype YB-52, with eight turbojet engines. The aircraft made its first flight on 15 April 1952 with "Tex" Johnston as pilotBuilt to carry nuclear weapons for Cold War-era deterrence missions, the B-52 Stratofortress replaced the Convair B-36. Although a veteran of a number of wars, the Stratofortress has dropped only conventional munitions in actual combat. The B-52 carries up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weaponsThe USAF has had B-52s in active service since 1955, initially with the Strategic Air Command (SAC), with all aircraft later absorbed into the Air Combat Command (ACC) following SAC's disestablishment in 1992. Superior performance at high subsonic speeds and relatively low operating costs have kept the B-52 in service despite proposals to replace it with the Mach 3 XB-70 Valkyrie, supersonic B-1B Lancer and stealthy B-2 Spirit.

B-2 Spirit

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit (also known as the Stealth Bomber) is an American heavy bomber with "low observable" stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. Because of its considerable capital and operations costs, the project was controversial in Congress and among Pentagon brass. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Congress slashed initial plans to purchase 132 bombers to just 21.
The cost of each air vehicle averaged US$737 million in 1997 dollars. Total procurement costs averaged US$929 million per plane, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which includes development, engineering and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft (in 1997 dollars)

B-1 Lancer

The B-1 Lancer is a strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force. First envisioned in the 1960s as a supersonic bomber with sufficient range and payload to replace the B-5 Stratofortress, it developed primarily into a low-level penetrator with long-range and capable of supersonic speed. Its development was stopped and restarted multiple times over its history, as the theory of strategic balance changed from flexible response to mutually assured destruction and back again. It eventually entered service more than 20 years after first being studied.
The B-1B production version has been in service with the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1986. The Lancer serves as the supersonic component of the USAF's long-range bomber force, along with the subsonic B-52 and B-2 Spirit. The bomber is commonly called the "Bone" (originally from "B-One"). With the retirement of the EF-111 Raven in 1998 and the F-14 TomcAt in 2006, the B-1B is the U.S. military's only variable-sweep wing aircraft.

Lockheed AC-130

The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, and Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft supportIt is a variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The AC-130A Gunship II superseded the AC-47 Gunship I in Vietnam.
The gunship's sole user is the United States Air Force, which uses AC-130H Spectre and AC-130U Spooky variantsThe AC-130 is powered by four turboprops and has an armament ranging from 20 mm Gatling guns to 105 mm howitzers. It has a standard crew of twelve or thirteen airmen, including five officers (two pilots, a navigator, an electronic warfare officer and a fire control officer) and enlisted personnel (flight engineer, electronics operators and aerial gunners).
The US Air Force uses the AC-130 gunships for close air support air interdiction, and force protection. Close air support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, and flying urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against planned targets and targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include defending air bases and other facilities. Stationed at Hurlburt Field in Northwest Florida, the gunship squadrons are part of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a component of United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

A-10 Thunderbolt II

The A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force to provide close air support (CAS) of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction capability. It is the first U.S. Air Force aircraft designed exclusively for close air support.
The A-10's official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt of World War II, a fighter that was particularly effective at close air support. The A-10 is more commonly known by its nickname "Warthog" or simply "Hog".[As a secondary mission, it provides airborne forward air control, guiding other aircraft against ground targets. A-10s used primarily in this role are designated OA-10

AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter

1965) The UH-1 "Huey" was too slow for the gun ship or escort role. Bell Helicopter won the competition for an interim fast armed escort helicopter while the Army was waiting for the fielding of the AAFSS Ah-56A Cheyenne. The AAFSS program was cancelled in 1972. Bell designed the Cobra using the best features of the UH-1C gun ship. The Cobra uses the basic transmission, modified "540" rotor system, and power plant of the UH-1C, a streamlined fuselage using parts 85% in common with the UH-1D tail boom and body, combined with the nose components from the experimental Bell (model 207) Sioux Scout. The original Bell (model 209) featured an Emerson chin-turret mounting two 7.62mm "Miniguns" and had fully-retractable skids. The AH-1G Cobra featured a computerized stability-augmentation system, in place the short weighted gyro-stabilizer bar originally used on the Bell (model 47) OH-13 Sioux. The AH-1G was powered by a single Lycoming T53-L-13B 1400 shp engine.
The Bell (model 209) AH-1G Cobra featured a new wide-bladed rotor and slim fuselage that gave it twice the speed of the UH-1B "Huey". It could could loiter over the target area three times as long, and had an improved armament system over previous gun ships. Tandem seating of the two crew members the Cobra, with a width of just 38 inches, presented a much smaller target than the 100 inch wide UH-1 "Huey". The Cobra had a two-bladed semi-rigid seesaw bonded all metal main rotor and two-bladed rigid delta hinge bonded all metal tail rotor. The AH-1G Cobra's mission was direct aerial fire support, armed escort, and reconnaissance.
The AH-1G Cobra, or "Snake", was armed with 2.75 inch (70mm) Folding Fin Aerial Rockets (FFARs) in M158 seven-tube or M200 19-tube rocket launchers, and a chin-turret on the M28/M28A1 armament subsystem. The chin-turret mounted the M134 7.62mm "Minigun" and the M129 40mm grenade launcher. The AH-1G could also be armed with a single M134 "Minigun" in a XM64 (TAT-102) chin-turret, the M134 "Minigun" in fixed side-mounting M18/M18A1 gun pod, and the port (left) side mounting M195 20mm automatic gun on the M35 armament subsystem. The AH-1G could also mount the M118 smoke grenade dispenser.

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, day-time Visual Flight Rules (VFR) fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. The Falcon's versatility is a paramount reason it has proven a success on the export market, having been selected to serve in the air forces of 25 nationsThe F-16 is the largest Western jet fighter program with over 4,400 aircraft built since production was approved in 1976Though no longer being bought by the U.S. Air Force, advanced versions are still being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta
The Fighting Falcon is a dogfighter with numerous innovations including a frameless, bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while under high g-forces, and reclined seat to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot. The F-16 has an internal Vulcan cannon and has 11 hardpoints for mounting various missiles, bombs and pods. It was also the first fighter aircraft deliberately built to sustain 9-g turns. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing power to climb and accelerate vertically — if necessaryAlthough the F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", it is known to its pilots as the "Viper", due to it resembling a cobra snake and after the Battlestar Galactica starfighterIt is used by the Thunderbirds air demonstration team.

List of countries with nuclear weapons

. USA
. UK
.RUSSIA
. FRANCE
.INDIA
.CHINA
. PAKISTAN
.NORTH KOREA
.SOUTH AFRICA
. ISRAEL

NUCLEAR WEAPON

nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter; a modern thermonuclear weapon weighing little more than a thousand kilograms can produce an explosion comparable to the detonation of more than a billion kilograms of conventional high explosiveEven small nuclear devices can devastate a city. Nuclear weapons are considered weapons of mass destruction, and their use and control has been a major aspect of international policy since their debut

In the history of warfare, only two nuclear weapons have been detonated offensively, both near the end of World War II. The first was detonated on the morning of 6 August 1945, when the United States dropped a uranium gun-type device code-named "Little Boy" on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The second was detonated three days later when the United States dropped a plutonium implosion-type device code-named "Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki, Japan. These bombings resulted in the immediate deaths of around 120,000 people (mostly civilians) from injuries sustained from the explosion and acute radiation sickness, and even more deaths from long-term effects of ionizing radiation. The use of these weapons was and remains controversial.