Explained: India Has More Nukes Than Pak, But China Races Ahead

New Delhi: 

In 2023, the global nuclear landscape was characterised by significant developments among the nine nuclear-armed states: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel. 

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), each of these countries continued to modernise their nuclear capabilities, with several deploying new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems.The United States remains a key player in the global nuclear arena. As of January 2024, the US nuclear arsenal comprised 5,044 warheads, with a significant portion deployed on ballistic missiles and aircraft. The US continues to modernise its nuclear arsenal, focusing on enhancing the capabilities and reliability of its land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers.