the arsenal that grows the most

According to new SIPRI data on atomic weapons, by the end of the decade the People’s Republic will catch up with the United States and Russia in the number of nuclear weapons mounted on ballistic missiles (that is, ready for immediate use). India is no longer just looking to deter Pakistan, but also long-range weapons that can hit targets across China.

Stockholm (/Agencies) – China has reached the threshold of 500 nuclear warheads. And for the first time, some of these devices are considered to be mounted on ballistic missiles, on maximum operational alert. This was revealed by Stockholm SIPRI – the most authoritative independent weapons observatory – in a study published today that offers an updated overview of atomic weapons in the world.

The report shows that the nine nuclear-weapon states (the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Israel) have continued to modernize their arsenals. nuclear weapons in 2023, and several of them have prepared new systems with nuclear weapons or capabilities.

Of the total global inventory of 12,121 warheads recorded in January 2024, approximately 9,585 were in military arsenals for potential use, while 2,536 were Cold War-era artifacts no longer in use. Among the nuclear weapons in condition to be used, SIPRI estimates that there are 2,100 that remain in a state of maximum operational alert on ballistic missiles. Until yesterday, almost all of these warheads belonged to Russia or the United States (which alone possess almost 90% of the entire arsenal), but today, for the first time, it is believed that China also has some nuclear weapons ready to use.

“Beijing is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country,” said Hans M. Kristensen, Associate Senior Fellow of SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Program and director of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) Nuclear Information Project. Twelve months ago it was estimated that atomic warheads were 410, but today they would have reached 500. And depending on how it decides to structure its forces, China could have at least the same number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) as Russia or the United States to end of the decade, although its arsenal of nuclear warheads is assumed to remain much smaller than those of Washington and Moscow.

“While the global total of nuclear warheads continues to decline thanks to the gradual dismantlement of Cold War-era weapons, unfortunately we continue to see an annual increase in the number of operational nuclear warheads,” SIPRI director Dan Smith commented on these data. . “It looks like this trend is going to continue and likely accelerate in the coming years, and it is extremely concerning.” India, Pakistan and North Korea are also seeking the ability to deploy multiple warheads on ballistic missiles, something Russia, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and, more recently, China have already done. This would lead to a potential rapid increase in deployed warheads and the ability of nuclear-armed countries to threaten the destruction of a much larger number of targets.

India slightly increased its nuclear arsenal in 2023. Both India and Pakistan have continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems in 2023. While Pakistan remains the primary target of India’s nuclear deterrent, India appears to place increasing emphasis on into longer-range weapons, especially those capable of hitting targets throughout China. As for North Korea, finally, according to SIPRI estimates from early 2024, Pyongyang has assembled about 50 warheads and possesses enough fissile material to reach a total of 90 warheads, in both cases, a significant increase compared to estimates January 2023.