Pakistan has more nuclear-warheads than India; China has double: SIPRI
Pakistan continues to be ahead of India when it comes to possessing nuclear warheads, with China having double the quantity, says a report by a leading Swedish think-tank. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Pakistan is believed to have 140-150 nuclear warheads this year, 10 more than last year. In contrast, India is said to have 130-140 nuclear warheads. Here's more.
Russia, US hold over 92% of the total warheads
"India and Pakistan are both expanding their nuclear weapon stockpiles as well as developing new land, sea and air-based missile delivery systems," SIPRI said. It said that China continues to modernize its nuclear weapon delivery systems and is slowly increasing the size of its nuclear arsenal. The report added that Russia and the US hold over 92% of the total warheads.
3,750 nuclear warheads deployed in just one year
SIPRI said nine countries, including the US, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea had 14,465 nuclear-warheads at the beginning of 2018, of which 3,750 were actually deployed. At the start of 2017, the total number of nuclear warheads was 14,935. Despite making limited reductions, both Russia and the USA have long-term programmes underway to replace and modernize their nuclear warheads.
Reduction in nuclear forces due to 2010 treaty
SIPRI said the reduction is due to the arms-control commitments by the US and Russia in the 2010 Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START). It said France with 300 warheads, China 280, Britain 215, Pakistan 140-150, India 130-140, Israel 80, and North Korea 10-20, were either deploying or planning to deploy new nuclear weapons systems.
Nuclear weapon modernization means nuclear-disarmament is a distant goal: SIPRI
The Stockholm-based organization warned that the modernization of nuclear weapons continues despite a decline in the total number of nuclear warheads. "The modernization programmes underway in the nuclear weapon-possessing states indicate that genuine progress towards nuclear disarmament will still remain a distant goal," says Shannon Kile, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Disarmament, Arms Control, and Non-proliferation Programme.
