With 172 nuclear weapons, India now has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan; US, Russia own 90% of world's arsenal, report says | News from India

China's nuclear arsenal has increased significantly, from 410 nuclear 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 countries, including the United States, Russia, France, China, India and Pakistan, the modernization of nuclear arsenals is underway, with several countries deploying new nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023.

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

Here are the main conclusions of the SIPRI report:

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

– Around 2,100 deployed warheads are on high operational alert, primarily held by Russia and the United States, with China apparently joining this category for the first time.

– Russia and the United States have more than 1,200 nuclear warheads withdrawn from the market, which they are gradually dismantling.

– “China is developing its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country,” said Hans M Kristensen, research associate at SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction program.

– While Pakistan continues to be the primary target of India's nuclear deterrent, there is a trend toward prioritizing longer-range weapons capable of targeting sites across China.

– The UK plans to expand its stockpile of nuclear warheads following the government's decision in 2021 to increase the limit from 225 to 260 nuclear warheads. Additionally, the government has stopped publicly disclosing details of its nuclear arsenal, including weapon quantities, deployed warheads, and missiles.

– France continued the development of new nuclear systems in 2023, including a third-generation nuclear missile submarine and a new air-launched cruise missile.

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

– Israel, although it does not officially recognize its nuclear weapons, would modernize its nuclear arsenal and strengthen its plutonium production capabilities at Dimona.

Weakening of nuclear diplomacy against the backdrop of war in Ukraine and Gaza

According to SIPRI, nuclear arms control and disarmament diplomacy suffered even greater setbacks in 2023.

– In February 2023, Russia suspended its participation in the 2010 New START treaty, the latest nuclear arms control agreement limiting U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces. In response, the United States stopped sharing and publishing treaty data.

– In November, Russia withdrew its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), citing an imbalance with the United States, which has not ratified the treaty since its opening in 1996. Despite this, the Russia remains a signatory and will commit to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. Tensions escalated in May 2024 when Russia conducted tactical nuclear weapons exercises near the Ukrainian border, amid continued threats over the use of nuclear weapons.

– A June 2023 deal between Iran and the United States aimed at easing tensions stoked by Iranian support for Russia in Ukraine appears to have temporarily eased tensions between the two countries.

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