India has surpassed Pakistan in nuclear capability, according to an annual assessment of global armaments by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released this week.
The United States holds the largest number of nuclear warheads, followed by Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel Occupation Forces. SIPRI emphasized that deteriorating geopolitical relations have increased the prominence and diversity of nuclear weapons, with countries deepening their reliance on nuclear ammunition.
In 2023, nuclear-armed countries continued modernizing their weaponry, deploying new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable systems. Out of 12,121 warheads in January 2024, about 9,585 were in military stockpiles for potential use, 3,904 deployed with missiles and aircraft, round 2,100 warheads on high operational alert on ballistic missiles, primarily belonging to Russia, the US, and China.
SIPRI Director Dan Smith expressed concern over the increasing number of operational nuclear warheads despite the ongoing dismantling of Cold War-era weapons. He noted that the global total of nuclear warheads continues to decline, but operational numbers are rising annually.
Russia and the US hold nearly 90 percent of all nuclear weapons. China’s arsenal increased from 410 in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024, signaling big growth.
The UK plans to expand its stockpile, while France is developing a third-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine and a new air-launched cruise missile.
India and North Korea are working on deploying multiple warheads on ballistic missiles. India’s arsenal slightly expanded in 2023, with a focus on longer-range weapons capable of reaching throughout China, and the development of new nuclear delivery systems.
North Korea has around 50 warheads, with enough fissile material to reach up to 90.
The post India Now Has More Nuclear Weapons Than Pakistan appeared first on ProPakistani.
