India has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan, while China has increased its nuclear arsenal from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024, as per a report by a Swedish think-tank.
With the world witnessing two wars in the past two years, an analysis by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) found that nine nuclear-armed nations, including India, Pakistan and China, continued to modernise their nuclear arsenals.
The other nations mentioned in the report are the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, North Korea and Israel.
The report said Russia and the US account for 90 per cent of all nuclear weapons and several countries deployed new nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023.
Around 2,100 nuclear warheads, mostly belonging to the US and Russia, were kept in a state of high operational alert on ballistic missiles. The report said China also likely kept some warheads on high operational alert for the first time.
INDIA HAS 172 NUCLEAR WARHEADS
The SIPRI report said India has 172 “stored” nuclear warheads as per January 2024, two more than Pakistan. The report claimed India marginally expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2023. Both countries continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems in 2023.
“While Pakistan remains the main focus of India’s nuclear deterrent, India appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets throughout China,” the report said.
The Swedish think-tank also said India, Pakistan and North Korea were following in the footsteps of Russia and the US to deploy multiple warheads on ballistic missiles.
On China, Hans Kristensen of SIPRI said it was expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country.
“But in nearly all the nuclear-armed states there are either plans or a significant push to increase nuclear forces,” PTI quoted Kristensen as saying.