Nuclear weapons state: Difference between revisions

Noroist Axdel began its own nuclear program during the [[Auroran Imperial War]], recruiting expat scientists, including some who had worked on the Ethalria program, as well recovering and reverse engineering a number of Morstaybishlian weapons. A small, potent thermonuclear warhead designated N-1 was developed during the war for deployment on the [[Kevatuul (Satellite)|Kevatuul]] satellite, a first strike system with ten independent reentry vehicles intended to destroy fleets and military bases in the event of a Morstaybishlian invasion of Axdel. This became the first use of nuclear weapons in warfare on Aurora when the [[Ethalria (Grand Matriarchy)|Ethalrian]] city of Ribenstadt was targeted by the weapon. Whilst devastating, the satellite proved to have a low accuracy. Thankfully a retaliatory strike was averted and post war as part of peace negotiations the satellite was deorbited, further development of space weaponry was abandoned (becoming a signatory of the [[Cynebury Accord]]), and Axdel was made to pay reparations for the damage done and lives lost. Axdel retained its nuclear program and accumulated stockpile, however, and a further fifteen underground and two above ground tests were conducted from 1975-1996. The nation maintained a land and sea based stockpile maintained for the purpose of deterrence, eschewing the use of tactical weapons, although it abstained from disclosing the number of warheads at its disposal.