5-3-1-4Nuclear Weapons Development

U.S. nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
Courtesy of U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

The 1960s saw nuclear weapons proliferate, with France and China becoming nuclear powers. Weapons technology continued to advance along with delivery technology: bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles(ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles(SLBMs) to carry the weapons. Concealed underwater, nuclear submarines are harder to detect than missile bases on land and can launch their missiles stealthily. Ballistic missiles were also designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads, enabling each to strike several targets.