In addition to the credible deterrence France has, Germany actually already stockpiles highly enriched uranium that would be enough for hundreds of advanced warheads. Sweden is also well positioned to get to nuclear missiles in just a few years with a concentrated effort.
So Gernany could have 1,000 warheads in a year. But then it is almost useless if Russia already cannot win a conventional war and the US don’t have to win a war to influence German policies.
In addition to the credible deterrence France has, Germany actually already stockpiles highly enriched uranium that would be enough for hundreds of advanced warheads. Sweden is also well positioned to get to nuclear missiles in just a few years with a concentrated effort.
What’s your source for that?
This is the latest German declaration to the IAEA: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/infcircs/1998/infcirc549a2-26.pdf
The former could be used for breakthrough in just a few months. The latter would take maybe 1-2 years to process first.
You were right, I looked it up, Germany could create a nuclear threat. Though if Germany starts would the US not intervene?
Germany has 3000 tSWU per year enrichment capacity.
https://fissilematerials.org/facilities/enrichment_plants.html
About 300 SWU are needed for 1kg weapons-grade, 85%, uranium.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urantrennarbeit
So 10,000 kg can be created per year.
Additionally the research HEU can be anything as low as 20% U235. So maybe 300kg 85% can be extracted from the research material for a quick start.
Uranium 235 critical mass is 50kg, but reflectors can lower that to what looks like 10kg.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_mass
So Gernany could have 1,000 warheads in a year. But then it is almost useless if Russia already cannot win a conventional war and the US don’t have to win a war to influence German policies.