> and developing long range missiles. This is what people don't understand. Nuclear weapons without a long range delivery mechanism are of extremely limited value as an offensive weapon. Defensively, they are exceedingly poor if at large yields. As tactical weapons they generally suck because the fallout is so difficult to ensure. Which means nuclear weapons are tied to their delivery systems. Planes are easily shot down these days. Which leaves us with nuclear missiles and their hypersonic ballistic delivery. This is such a profoundly important requirement it was the entire driving force for the moon landings. For if you can deliver a vehicle to the moon you can delivery a nuclear weapon anywhere on the face of the Earth. The moon race was really the nuclear weapon delivery platform race.