Nuclear forces development
World nuclear forces, January 2012
| Country | Year of first nuclear test | Deployed warheadsa |
Other warheadsb |
Total Inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States |
1945 |
2 150c |
5 850 | ~8 000d |
| Russia | 1949 | 1 800e |
8 200f |
~10 000g |
| United Kingdom |
1952 |
160 | 65 | 225 |
| France | 1960 |
290 | 10 | ~300 |
| China | 1964 |
.. |
200h |
~240 |
| India | 1974 |
.. |
80-100h |
80-100 |
| Pakistan | 1998 |
.. |
90-110h |
90-110 |
| Israel | .. |
.. |
~80h |
~ 80 |
| North Korea | 2006 |
.. |
.. | ?i |
| Total | ~4400 | ~14600 | ~19000 |
Source:
Shannon N. Kile, 'World Nuclear Forces', SIPRI Yearbook 2012 (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2012), pp. 307-350.
a ‘Deployed’ means warheads placed on missiles or located on bases with operational forces.
b These are warheads in reserve, awaiting dismantlement or that require some preparation (e.g. assembly or loading on launchers) before they become fully operationally available.
c In addition to strategic warheads, this figure includes c. 200 non-strategic (tactical) nuclear weapons deployed in Europe.
d The US Department of Defense nuclear stockpile contains c. 4900 warheads. Another c. 3100 retired warheads are scheduled to be dismantled by 2022.
e These are warheads earmarked for delivery by deployed strategic launchers (intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and long-range bombers).
f This figure up to 4000 non-strategic (tactical) nuclear weapons for use by short-range naval, air force and air defence forces. In 2010 the Russian Government declared that all tactical nuclear weapons were in storage and not deployed.
g This includes a military stockpile of c. 4500 nuclear warheads and another c. 5500 retired warheads await dismantlement.
h The nuclear stockpiles of China, India, Pakistan and Israel are not thought to be fully deployed.
i North Korea conducted nuclear test explosions in 2006 and 2009, but there is no public information to verify that it possesses operational nuclear weapons.
