news:ar2dnVyrXM8xsJbInZ2dnUU7-aWdnZ2d@giganews.com...
> Let's not forget that the British had a massive problem here. They made a
> substantial contribution to America's atomic bomb research and
> development, only to find that the US with the passing of the "McMahon
> Act" (Atomic Energy Act of 1946) completely froze them out of something
> they'd assisted in developing.
That's right. They had to develop nukes on their own. Though French nuclear
research began before WWII, American aid also prevented France from turning
towards the military application of nuclear energy after the war. When
Charles de Gaulle rushed into office in the crisis of 1958, he gave the
green light to accelerate the French nuclear program.
It's worth noting is that there have been no "duds" when each country pushed
the button on their first nuclear test. All fissioned. Something to think
about regarding the nuclear ambitions of the Third World. After all, why
alert the whole world with a test when you have a design that you know will
work the first time?
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