U.S. Nuclear Arsenal: A History of
Weapons and Delivery Systems
Since 1945 by Robert S. Norris
Excellent Survey Book On The Us Nuclear Arsenal
The atomic bomb ended the war against Japan in 1945 and became the
centerpiece of U.S. and Soviet military strategy for the next 45 years. In
the late 1940s the debate over whether the atomic bomb was the ultimate
arbitrator of international differences led to the infamous carrier-versus-
B-36 controversy in American defense policy; American school children in
the 1950s practiced air raid drills as many feared an atomic attack against
American cities; and billions were spent to develop and procure vast fleets
of B-36, B-47, and B-52 nuclear bombers, that led to a still-alive legacy
that is seen in the current B-1 and the B-2 stealth bomber controversies. In
this comprehensive work, two leading weapons experts present a
complete and fully up-to-date history of the development of U.S. nuclear
weapons and detailed descriptions of the entire American nuclear arsenal,
including the variety of systems capable of delivering them. Illustrated with

more than 100 b/w photographs and 20 charts, the authors describe all of
the nuclear weapons used in formulating American defense policies,
including the U.S. Armys development of the 280-mm atomic cannon,
atomic demolitions, and the atomic grenade launcher, along with the U.S.
Navys development of a carrier-based nuclear strike capability. Details are
provided about the Navys ASTOR nuclear torpedo, the 16-inch nuclear
projectiles for the Iowa-class battleships, and even the Navy s drone
helicopter designed to carry a nuclear depth charge. In addition, they
discuss the nuclear missiles and rockets carried by the air-defense fighters
within the United States and the nuclear-armed surface-to-air missiles
ringing major U.S. cities and military bases. This new work is certain to be
considered the definitive study of the subject.
Personal Review: U.S. Nuclear Arsenal: A History of Weapons
and Delivery Systems Since 1945 by Robert S. Norris
Norman Polmar and Robert Norris state in the dust-jacket that the book
"present[s] a complete and fully up-to-date history of the development of
U.S. nuclear weapons and detailed descriptions of the entire American
nuclear arsenal, including the variety of systems capable of delivering
them." Polmar and Norris are each recognized defense analysts who have
published numerous books and periodicals on nuclear weapons. These
two experts deliver a book is fully successful in meeting these stated goals.
The book begins with a look at the evolution of American nuclear weapons
development from the only operational uses of nuclear weapons in
combat; through the post-Cold War drawdown. It reviews various topics
such as Mutual Assured Destruction; the Strategic Triad. Polmar and
Norris do a great job covering the essentials of understanding the key
milestones in American nuclear policy.
With a foundational understanding of the nuclear weapon employment
strategy, the reader is now ready to learn about the different types of
weapons in the US arsenal. The first section focuses on nuclear warheads
- the actual explosive devices capable of leveling cities. The entries for
each warhead follow a standard format of a description; the production run;
and the operational periods of availability for the weapon.
Chapter three focuses on strategic aircraft, which the authors state
"Strategic aircraft are generally considered those that can reach an
opponent's homeland." Many airpower proponents would modify this to
state "are those that can reach more than 250 miles into an opponent's
homeland," which would make the entries for the first sub-section focused
on carrier-based attack aircraft more applicable for the tactical aircraft
section. Airpower debates aside, both chapters follow the familiar format
for the entries first introduced in the warhead section.
The balance of the book examine the strategic missile delivery systems;
tactical missile delivery systems; artillery delivery systems; and anti-
submarine weapons. Along with the weapons that were developed, the

authors also document weapons that never made it past research and
development, such as the Navy's A-12 Avenger. For readers looking for
more information, the authors include a 2-page+ bibliography.
Many of the entries contain black and white photos of the warhead or
delivery system being discussed. This is a great book to introduce the
reader to the US nuclear arsenal covering the basic areas of the overall
strategy of how the weapons would be used and also what weapons are
available.
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