4. France
Number of warheads: Active 290, Reserve 10, total 300
Delivery method: Air and sea
The top five entries on our list of 9 countries with nukes are signatories of various nuclear disarmament treaties and as such their nuclear arsenals are completely transparent. We kick off with France, who has been a member of the nuclear club since 1960. France conducted the majority of its nuclear experiments and tests in the South Pacific, nearby its colonial possessions in French Polynesia. The rest were performed in the Sahara, in modern day Algeria, at the time also a French colony. This was heavily criticized by other countries, especially by Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. The latest such test in 1995 led to a wide international reaction, forcing France to reduce the number of tests from planned 8 to 6 and abandoning its testing facilities in Polynesia. Currently, France has four submarines capable of launching SLBM, and by law, French Navy is required to keep at least one out on patrol at all times, to ensure a viable retaliation strike against the offending nation. In addition to these four Triomphant class -class submarines, France also has air-based nuclear weapons, designed for Rafale M and Mirage 2000N fighters.
