Nine nuclear-armed countries continued to modernize their N arsenals in 2023 (SIPRI)

New Delhi: Nine nuclear-armed countries, including the United States, Russia, France, China, India and Pakistan, have continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals and several of them have deployed new nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023, a Swedish think tank said Monday. .

In its analysis, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said China's nuclear arsenal increased from 410 nuclear warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024, and is expected to continue growing.

The report said that some 2,100 of the deployed warheads were maintained on ballistic missile operational high alert, and almost all of them belonged to Russia or the United States.

However, for the first time, China appears to have nuclear warheads on high operational alert, the statement said.

SIPRI said nine nuclear-armed states – the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel – continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals and several have deployed new nuclear or nuclear-capable weapons systems in the country. 2023.

Of the total global inventory of approximately 12,121 nuclear warheads as of January 2024, approximately 9,585 were in military stockpiles for potential use, it said.

An estimated 3,904 of these warheads were deployed with missiles and aircraft – 60 more than in January 2023 – and the rest were in central storage, according to the statement.

“About 2,100 of the deployed warheads were maintained on high operational alert on ballistic missiles. Almost all of these warheads belonged to Russia or the United States, but for the first time, China would have warheads on operational alert. high operational alert,” he added. the report said.

According to the think tank, India, Pakistan and North Korea are all seeking the ability to deploy multiple nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles, which Russia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States already have and more recently China.

This would allow for a potential rapid increase in the number of warheads deployed, as well as the ability for nuclear-armed countries to threaten to destroy many more targets, he said.

SIPRI said Russia and the United States together possess nearly 90 percent of all nuclear weapons.

The size of their respective military stockpiles appears to have remained relatively stable in 2023, although Russia is estimated to have deployed approximately 36 more military warheads with its operational forces than in January 2023.

Transparency regarding nuclear forces has declined in both countries following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and debates around nuclear sharing agreements have gained prominence, adds the press release.

The report puts the number of nuclear warheads “stockpiled” by India at 172 as of January this year, while the figure for Pakistan was 170.

India slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2023, it said, adding that India and Pakistan continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems in 2023.

“While Pakistan remains the primary focus of India's nuclear deterrent, India appears to be placing increasing emphasis on longer-range weapons, including those capable of hitting targets across the China,” the report said.

Depending on how it decides to structure its forces, China could potentially have at least as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as Russia or the United States by the end of the decade.

At the same time, the report said that China's stockpile of nuclear warheads is expected to remain much lower than that of Russia and the United States.

“China is developing its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country,” said Hans M Kristensen, research associate in SIPRI's Weapons of Mass Destruction program and director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). .

“But in almost all nuclear-armed states there are either plans or significant willingness to increase nuclear forces,” Kristensen said.