At 172, India now has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan; US, Russia possess 90% of global arsenal, says report | India News

China's nuclear arsenal has increased significantly from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 by January 2024, with expectations of continued growth, as noted by SIPRI.

The findings also reveal that among the nine nuclear-armed nations, including the US, Russia, France, China, India, and Pakistan, there has been ongoing modernization of nuclear arsenals, with several countries deploying new nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023.

The report states that Russia and the USA collectively possess nearly 90% of the world's nuclear weapons.

Here are the key findings from the SIPRI report:

– The global inventory includes approximately 12,121 nuclear warheads, with about 9,585 held in military stockpiles. Around 3,904 of these warheads are deployed with missiles and aircraft, marking an increase of 60 from January 2023, while the remainder are in central storage.

– Approximately 2,100 of the deployed warheads are on high operational alert, primarily held by Russia and the USA, with China believed to have joined this category for the first time.

– Both Russia and the USA possess over 1,200 retired warheads, which they are gradually dismantling.

– “China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country,” said Hans M Kristensen, Associate Senior Fellow with SIPRI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Program.

– While Pakistan continues to be the primary focus of India's nuclear weapons, there is a shift towards prioritizing longer-range weapons capable of targeting locations across China.

– The UK plans to expand its warhead stockpile following a government decision in 2021 to increase the limit from 225 to 260 warheads. Additionally, the government has ceased public disclosure of its nuclear arsenal details, including quantities of weapons, deployed warheads, and missiles.

– France continued developing new nuclear systems in 2023, including a third-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine and a new air-launched cruise missile.

– North Korea remains focused on its military nuclear program as a key element of its national security strategy. SIPRI estimates that the country has assembled approximately 50 warheads and has enough fissile material to potentially increase its total to up to 90 warheads.

– Israel, though not officially acknowledging its nuclear weapons, is reportedly modernizing its nuclear arsenal and enhancing plutonium production capabilities at Dimona.

Weakening nuclear diplomacy amid war in Ukraine and Gaza

According to SIPRI, nuclear arms control and disarmament diplomacy suffered more major setbacks in 2023.

– In February 2023, Russia suspended its participation in the 2010 New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement limiting US and Russian strategic nuclear forces. In response, the USA halted sharing and publishing treaty data.

– In November, Russia withdrew its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), citing an imbalance with the USA, which has not ratified the treaty since its 1996 opening. Despite this, Russia remains a signatory and will engage with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. Tensions heightened in May 2024 when Russia conducted tactical nuclear weapon drills near Ukraine's border, amid ongoing threats concerning nuclear weapon use.

– A June 2023 agreement between Iran and the US aimed to cool tensions inflamed by Iranian support for Russia in Ukraine, seemed to temporarily de-escalated tensions between the two countries.

– “However, the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October ended the agreement, with proxy attacks by Iran-backed groups on US forces in Iraq and Syria apparently ending Iranian–US diplomatic efforts. The war also undermined efforts to engage Israel in the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction,” the report stated.