The recent release of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2023, unveils new insights into the global military landscape, particularly in relation to nuclear arsenals. The findings suggest that China’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) could potentially match those of the U.S. and Russia by the end of the decade.
Revelations from the SIPRI Yearbook
The SIPRI Yearbook detailed that among nations, Russia currently has the largest stored nuclear stockpile, followed by the U.S., and then China. In terms of deployment, the U.S. leads, followed by Russia and France.
Modernization and Expansion of Global Nuclear Arsenals
The Yearbook revealed that the nine nuclear-armed states, namely the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel, continued modernizing and expanding their nuclear arsenals. New nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems were deployed in 2022 by these countries.
Global Inventory of Warheads
As of January 2023, the global inventory of warheads stood at 12,512, with roughly 9,576 warheads held in military stockpiles for potential use.
The Dominance of Russia and the U.S.
According to the report, Russia and the U.S. together possess nearly 90% of all the world’s nuclear weapons. The sizes of their respective nuclear arsenals have remained relatively stable.
Arms Control Concerns
Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, transparency and dialogue regarding nuclear forces between Russia and the U.S. slipped. This led to the suspension of strategic stability dialogue and the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START).
New START Limits
Despite the strained relations, both Russia and the U.S. were assessed by SIPRI to be within the limits set by New START for their deployed strategic nuclear forces as of January 2023.
India’s Growing Nuclear Arsenal
The Yearbook also highlighted that India’s nuclear arsenal expanded from 160 warheads in 2022 to 164 in 2023. With increased emphasis on longer-range weapons capable of reaching Chinese targets, India is also upgrading its ballistic missiles.
China’s Expanding Nuclear Arsenal
China’s nuclear arsenal has grown dramatically from 350 warheads in January 2022 to 410 in January 2023. This substantial expansion raises concerns as it contradicts China’s goal of maintaining minimum nuclear forces for national security.
About SIPRI
Established in 1966, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament. It offers data, analysis, and recommendations based on open sources to policymakers, researchers, media, and the public.
