A recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reveals that India's nuclear stockpile has increased to 172 warheads, slightly surpassing Pakistan's 170. This growth marks a significant shift from last year's estimate of 164 warheads.
While Pakistan's arsenal remained static, the report indicates that India is making strides in developing new nuclear delivery systems and potentially moving towards "mating" some of its warheads with launchers in peacetime, a practice previously not associated with the country. This shift suggests a greater emphasis on rapid response capabilities and a potential change in India's nuclear posture.
The report also highlights India's growing focus on longer-range weapons capable of reaching targets throughout China, indicating a strategic shift towards addressing a wider range of potential threats.
On the other hand China's nuclear arsenal has seen a substantial increase, reaching 500 warheads, significantly outpacing both India and Pakistan. SIPRI predicts that China's nuclear expansion will continue, with the potential to deploy as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as the US or Russia in the coming decade. This rapid growth raises concerns about a potential arms race in the region.
The report estimates that the combined nuclear arsenal of the nine nuclear-armed states (India, Pakistan, China, US, Russia, UK, France, North Korea, and Israel) stands at approximately 12,121 warheads, with 9,585 potentially operationally available. The US and Russia account for almost 90% of this global total.
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