Status of World Nuclear Forces
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Country Profiles |
| Detailed World Summary Russia United States France China United Kingdom Israel Pakistan India North Korea |
More than a decade and a half after the Cold War ended, the world's combined stockpile of nuclear warheads remain at a very high level: more than 20,000. Of these, more than 10,000 warheads are considered operational, of which a couple of thousand U.S. and Russian warheads are on high alert, ready for use on short notice.
If adding retired warheads earmarked for dismantlement, the total inventory of intact nuclear weapons is approximately 25,500 warheads.
The exact number of nuclear weapons in each country's possession is a closely held national secret. Despite this limitation, however, publicly available information and occasional leaks make it possible to make best estimates about the size and composition of the national nuclear weapon stockpiles:
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Status of World Nuclear Forces 2008* |
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| Country | Strategic | Non-Strategic | Operational | Stockpile |
| Russia | 3,113 | 2,079 | 5,192 | ~14,000a |
| United States | 3,575 | 500b | 4,075 | 5,400c |
| France | 348 | n.a. | 348 | >348d |
| China | 180 | ? | 180 | ~240e |
| United Kingdom | 160 | n.a. | <160 | ~200f |
| Israel | ~80 | n.a. | n.a. | ~80g |
| Pakistan | ~60 | n.a. | n.a. | ~60g |
| India | ~50 | n.a. | n.a. | ~50g |
| North Korea | <10 | n.a. | n.a. | <10h |
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Total: |
7,715i | 2,830i | ~10,350i | ~20,390i |
| * These estimates are also included in the Nuclear Notebook in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and the nuclear appendix in the SIPRI Yearbook. Additional reports are published on the FAS Strategic Security Blog. Unlike those publications, this table is updated continuously as new information becomes available. Current update: April 9, 2008. a The estimate for the size and composition of the Russian stockpile comes with considerable uncertainty but is based on Cold War levels, subsequent dismantlement rates, and official Russian statements. Perhaps as many as a quarter (~3,000) of the weapons listed as stockpiled may be awaiting dismantlement. b Several hundred, probably including some inactive warheads, are deployed in Europe. c An additional estimated 5,000 reserve warheads were formally removed from the DOD stockpile by the end of 2007. For now they largely remain at their bases but will be moved to central storage before 2012 and dismantled by 2023. In addition, more than 12,000 plutonium pits and some 5,000 Canned Assemblies (secondaries) are in storage. d Like other nuclear powers, France probably has a reserve of inactive warheads. e Many strategic warheads are for regional use. The status of a Chinese non-strategic nuclear arsenal is uncertain. Some deployed warheads may not be fully operational. Additional warheads are in storage, for a total stockpile of approximately 240 warheads. f Only 50 missiles are left, for a maximum of 150 warheads. “Less than 160” warheads are said to be "operationally available," but a small number of spares probably exist too. Forty-eight missiles are needed to arm three SSBNs with a maximum of 144 warheads. One submarine with “up to 48 warheads” is on patrol at any given time. In addition to the operationally available warheads, Britain probably has an inactive reserve. g All warheads of the four lesser nuclear powers are considered strategic. Only some of these may be operational. h There is no publicly available evidence that North Korea has operationalized its nuclear weapons capability. On October 8, 2006, North Korea announced it had conducted a nuclear test. i Numbers may not add up due to rounding and uncertainty about the operational status of the four lesser nuclear weapons states and the uncertainty about the size of the total stockpile of three of the five initial nuclear powers. |
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The exact number of nuclear weapons in each country's possession is a closely held national secret. Despite this limitation, publicly available information and occasional leaks make it possible to make best estimates about the size and composition of the national nuclear weapon stockpiles.
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World Nuclear Weapon Stockpiles 2008 |
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Stockpiles include several sub-categories of weapons: active deployed (fully operational), active non-deployed (intact reserve weapons intended to increase deployed force), and inactive (reserve weapons with limited-life components removed). Categories and definitions may vary depending on country. In the case of the United States, when weapons are withdrawn from the stockpile (which refers to weapons under the custody of the Defense Department), ownership is officially transferred to the Energy Department although the weapons may remain in storage at military bases for many years before they are dismantled. |
The information available for each country varies greatly, ranging from the most transparent nuclear weapons state (United States) to the most opaque (North Korea). Accordingly, while the stockpile for the United States is based on real numbers, the North Korean stockpile is highly uncertain. Indeed, although U.S. Intelligence claims that North Korea may have assembled a few nuclear weapons and North Korea claims to have some, no information is available in the public domain that proves that North Korea has assembled a nuclear weapons much less has an operational nuclear weapon.
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History of World Nuclear Weapon Stockpiles 1945-2008 |
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The combined inventory of nuclear weapons has fluctuated considerably over the years. Between 1945 and 1986 the total number continued to increase, reaching a peak of approximately 70,000 weapons in 1986. As the Cold War faded and ended, the United States, Russia, Britain and France have reduced their stockpiles. The reduction of Cold War inventories will likely continued for the next decade or so but then level out as the countries determine the size of their post-Cold War stockpiles. |
Additional Information: Detailed World Summary
