The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in Sweden is an international authority on nuclear weapons statistics and publishes an annual report on the number of nuclear warheads worldwide. In mid-June this year, the agency once again released a statistical report on the number of nuclear warheads around the world.
The institute's statistical report states that as of January 2024, there are nine nuclear-armed states in the world. Counting the warheads that have been decommissioned but not yet completely dismantled, the total number of nuclear warheads worldwide is estimated at 12,121, of which about 9,585 are available. Specific to each country, the United States has 5,044 nuclear warheads, Russia 5,580, Britain 225, France 290, China 500, India 172, Pakistan 170, North Korea 50, Israel 90.
At present, only five of the nine nuclear-armed states are officially recognized by the international community, namely the five permanent members of the United Nations: the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and China. Pakistan, India, and North Korea have not been internationally recognized for their nuclear status. Israel is widely believed to have, but it has adopted a policy of ambiguity, neither openly acknowledging nor denying nuclear weapons.
So is this statistical report, the data on nuclear warheads of various countries correct?
"Sun Tzu's Art of War" has a saying that "a soldier is also treacherous". The specific number of nuclear warheads, especially the number of available nuclear warheads, is absolutely a secret among secrets for all countries, a hole card, and it is definitely not wanted to be known by other countries! In fact, the number of nuclear warheads in each nuclear-armed country is only an estimate of the research institute based on information provided by governments, publicly available literature, and data from other reliable sources.
In fact, the mainland only claims that it is sufficient, and never mentions the specific number of nuclear warheads. In its report, the institute said that the number of nuclear warheads on the mainland is about 500, an increase of 90 from the previous one. Is the data real? I don't know! But I hope that this data is false and real, and people are uncertain, which is the most worrying and frightening. But it is certain that 90% of the world's nuclear warheads are owned by the United States and Russia, and the continent is certainly second only to the United States and Russia in the number of nuclear warheads.
Regarding the fact that the number of nuclear warheads on the mainland is not as good as that of the United States and Russia, some netizens said: The number of nuclear warheads should be added by one more zero to be reasonable, and it will be enough!
In fact, it is enough to have the appropriate number of nuclear warheads. If 500 and 5,000 can achieve the same strategic purpose, then the solution with less economic cost must be preferred, after all, there are too many, and the maintenance cost is not low. Don't dwell too much on quantity, focus on quality. On the basis of having an appropriate number of nuclear warheads, it is the best policy to constantly update them, always equip them with the most advanced, more combat-effective, and more strategic deterrent nuclear weapons, and build a perfect three-in-one nuclear strike force that is invincible to defense.
The reason why the United States and Russia possess so many nuclear warheads, and they are basically equal, is entirely caused by the frenzied nuclear arms race during the Cold War. Although the United States and Russia have reduced the number of nuclear warheads in their nuclear arsenals in the past, in fact, they have only eliminated some old and retired warheads, and although the total amount has decreased compared with the peak, the number of usable nuclear warheads has not decreased significantly, and there is even a trend of further increase. This was noted in the Institute's latest annual report, which stated that the total number of nuclear warheads available to countries continued to increase.
At present, the United States is still stepping up the development and installation of a new generation of nuclear weapons and constantly updating its nuclear arsenal. If it were not for economic constraints, it is estimated that Russia would have updated its nuclear arsenal on a large scale, eliminated old nuclear warheads, and enhanced its strategic deterrence and actual combat capabilities, as it has done with the United States.
There is no unattainable threshold for the development of nuclear weapons, and it is estimated that many third-rate countries would be able to possess nuclear weapons if it were not for the P5 restrictions. Some people may think that if all countries have nuclear weapons, nuclear blackmail and nuclear intimidation can be avoided; Or without nuclear weapons, the world would be more peaceful!
In fact, it is precisely because of the existence of nuclear weapons that the major powers in the world dare not easily misfire each other, which avoids the outbreak of World War III. But if there are too many nuclear states, it will also increase the risk, after all, there are small countries that are politically unstable, and if nuclear weapons fall into the hands of terrorists or madmen, it will be the beginning of a nightmare for mankind.