ISLAMABAD: The international nuclear arms race has taken a new turn in terms of competition, as both Pakistan and India are increasing their strategic weapons, while at the same time, Russia and the United States still hold an upper hand on the international nuclear stockpile, according to the recent analysis made by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The recent analysis has revealed that Russia and the United States combined have almost 82 percent of nuclear warheads of the whole world, which clearly shows their domination over the world in terms of strategic weapons. At the same time, South Asian countries are also modernizing their nuclear stockpiles, particularly India and Pakistan.
Based on the estimates provided by SIPRI, India was estimated to possess 190 nuclear warheads in January 2026 while Pakistan possessed about 170 nuclear warheads. There is still a constant effort by both states to improve their nuclear deterrence through new means of delivery.
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As indicated in the report, both Pakistan and India are able to fire nuclear missiles via land, air, and sea bases, which is known as the nuclear triad. Although their approaches and doctrines may differ substantially, both states have been improving this capacity for many years.
Russia and US Control Most Global Nuclear Warheads
Russia continues to be the world’s biggest nuclear weapons possessor, boasting around 4,380 warheads in active use or storage. Following Russia is the US, which possesses around 3,700 warheads. Despite various difficulties in terms of arms control, and growing geopolitical tensions, Russia and the United States still influence the global nuclear balance.
China now leads the way in terms of becoming the world’s fastest-growing nuclear power with some 620 warheads in its possession. Experts have noted that China would go on to develop even more nuclear capacity during the next ten years.
France is placed fourth, having 290 warheads, followed by the United Kingdom, with 225 warheads. Israel is known to have almost 90 warheads, yet continues its age-old practice of remaining ambiguous about its nuclear stockpile. It has been observed that North Korea now possesses 60 warheads, due to steady development in its nuclear arsenal program.
SIPRI Warns of AI Risks in Nuclear Systems
According to SIPRI, the current state of international security is becoming more unstable with the emergence of modernized nuclear weapon systems and new technological developments in military capacities of leading states. Particularly, the use of artificial intelligence in nuclear command-and-control systems raises many alarms.
As much as humans are advised to be vigilant in the face of the increasing use of automated processes in making decisions in times of crisis, experts contend that such dependence can add additional layers of uncertainty, thus posing more chances for miscalculation when tensions rise.
Moreover, from the study results, it is evident that South Asia will be the center of global strategic analysis as both Pakistan and India keep modernizing their military equipment and improving their deterrence policy. Even as both states continue keeping nuclear weapons only for deterrence reasons, the study underscores the need for confidence building and crisis management mechanisms.
In the face of increasing geopolitical competition in several regions around the world, the current report from SIPRI reminds us of the continued relevance of nuclear weaponry in matters of international security, notwithstanding technological developments that will define future warfare.
