Pakistan has left behind India when it comes to the list of countries with the most nuclear weapons.As, recently a report has been released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI),which lists the number of nuclear missiles and weapons owned by different nations across the globe.
As, both countries have an urge to invest a great part of budget’s GDP in modernizing and updating their existing stockpiles, hence in this race Pakistan won as it owns more nuclear warheads than India.
According to figures recorded by SIPRI, only nine countries kept overall 14,465 nuclear warheads in 2018. About 3,750 of the nuclear warheads in this list are already deployed. Here are those nine countries:
- United States of America,
- Russia,
- Britain,
- France,
- China,
- Pakistan,
- India,
- Israel,
- North Korea.
It has been noticed that the total number of warheads registered a reduced as compared to last year. It is resulted mainly due to the START arms control treaty signed between the US and Russia in 2010 that bounds both countries to decrease their nuclear stockpiles.
Shocking but obvious, out of the total nuclear weapons known to the world, superpowers US and Russia hold 92% of them.
According to the SIPRI’s Report, the perception of a world without nuclear weapons is over. Additionally, North Korea and Russia are among the countries that are most to utilze their nuclear weapon collection in a time of crisis.
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The report further states:
“North Korea also demonstrated unexpected rapid progress in the testing of two new types of long-range ballistic missile delivery systems”.
Moreover, more countries are spending to modernize their warheads which is “worrying”.
The report adds:
“The renewed focus on the strategic importance of nuclear deterrence and capacity is a very worrying trend.”
SIPRI’s head, Jan Eliasson says:
“The world needs a clear commitment from the nuclear weapon states to an effective, legally binding process towards nuclear disarmament.”
According to the report, number of nuclear warheads owned by the following countries are:
- Russia – 6,850
- USA – 6,450
- France – 300,
- China – 280,
- Pakistan – 140-150,
- Britain – 215,
- India – 130-140,
- Israel – 80,
- North Korea – 10-20.
On the other hand, the report also shows that the US has a plan to invest about $400 billion to update its nuclear weapons by 2026. Moreover, countries like Pakistan and India have also added the inclusion of nuclear weapons in national defense strategies.
Lots of people in Pakistan argue that Pakistan should have to spend this budget on water, education and heath. But the point is, investing in these nuclear weapon is also compulsory as Pakistancould have become Iran, Syria or Palestine if not update these nuclear weapon for its security.
