Nuclear warheads status

According to updated count by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the number of nuclear warheads with nine nuclear countries has reduced from 14,935 at start of 2017 to 14,465 at start of 2018.

These nine countries are United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.

SIPRI is an independent think tank that uses open sources to compile such data since 1966.

Out of 14,465 nuclear warheads at the beginning of 2018, 3750 are actually deployed.

Russia (with 6850 nuclear warheads) and US (with 6450 warheads) hold 92% of world’s total nuclear warheads.

However, they have long-term programmes under way to replace and modernise their nuclear warheads and nuclear weapons production facilities.

World’s nuclear powers are reducing their nuclear arsenals but they are also modernising, putting fresh and worrying focus on strategic deterrence.

The reduction is due to arms control commitments by US and Russia in 2010 Treaty on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START Treaty).

Britain has 215 nuclear warheads, France has 300, China has 280, India 130-140, Pakistan 140-150, Israel 80 and North Korea 10-20.

These countries are either deploying or planning to deploy new nuclear weapons system.

North Korea also demonstrated unexpected rapid progress in testing of two new types of long-range ballistic missile delivery systems for delivery of its nuclear weapons.