Pakistan and India have increased their nuclear arsenal from 60-80 and 70-90 warheads in 2010, to 110-120 and 90-110 respectively. PHOTO: FILE
According to the report, both Pakistan and India have not only been developing new systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons but also expanding their capacities to produce fissile material for military purposes.
The data compiled by the SIPRI shows that at the start of 2014, the nine nuclear armed states, namely United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea together possessed approximately 16 300, nuclear warheads, while the number of active/deployed nuclear weapons was around 4000.
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Russia, US still lead world nuclear arsenals
While acknowledging the reduction in the number of nuclear weapons in last five years, from 22,600 in 2010 to 16,300 in 2014, the report says that the decrease is mainly due to Russia and US, who have been reducing their arsenal under the terms of the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START).
The report further states that despite the reduction in the number of nuclear weapons the nuclear armed states are apparently not willing to completely dismantle their nuclear arsenals, instead have been modernising their delivery systems.
It further claims that all five legally recognised nuclear weapon states—China, France, Russia, UK and USA—are either deploying new nuclear weapon delivery systems or have announced programmes to do so.
“Once again this year, the nuclear weapon-possessing states took little action to indicate a genuine willingness to work toward complete dismantlement of their nuclear arsenals. The long term modernisation programmes under way in these states suggest their views that nuclear weapons will remain deeply embedded elements of their strategic calculus,” said SIPRI Researchers Shannon Kile and Phillip Patton Schell.
The report further claims that there is an emerging consensus in the expert community that North Korea has produced a small number of nuclear weapons, as distinct from rudimentary nuclear explosive devices.
COMMENTS (72)
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@Moiz Omar: *offense
@ajeetAbheet: Free Press in India...you must be deluding yourself. It now ranks at 140th place in the world.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-02-12/news/472699421pakistan-journalists-taliban
@ajeetAbheet: India ranks 131st in the World in Press Freedom. From "Democratic Republic" to "Sociometricocracy", to "Fascist Omnishambles" via "Quota Corruption Raj" in just Sixty Five Years. Wow! But then, a country with a Parliament that passes 42 bills into law in twelve minutes, one of which repeals all the teeth in anti-corruption legislation, is very, very, special. Even George Orwell would have boggled at India.
Its so nice to see majority of Pakistanis on these forums speaking against nukes and wars .... I wish and pray that our so-called leaders do the same.
@Javed: Even before you think of pressing the missile launching button, All your missiles will be decimated by India. don't ever ever dare to try it! Learn to live in peace!
@Javed: Just nukes are not enough. One needs insanity too to use them. Going by the comments from Pakistanis here, insanity is in plenty in Pakistan.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: What is use of having powerful military when it does not protect and safeguard its own cities and towns. Karachi, Peshawar and other town is an example. Every day Some where your own Muslim terrorist are hurting and killing each other. When division and fighting going on among your citizen and people and household is divided, I am afraid you can not have peace in your country, How can you protect own land from foreign invaders, I question ? .
@Javed: First of all it is ridiculous to claim based on injections imported legally by people in Karachi but manufactured in Mumbai that India sponsored the terrorists. Secondly, your generals have more sense than to use nukes knowing full well that India has them too. The total nmber of nukes once it gets into double digits is irrelevant.
The safest route to reduce nuclear dangers on the subcontinent is through concerted, top-down efforts to improve relations between Pakistan and India. The surest way to do so is by greatly increasing cross-border trade. Leaders in both countries have endorsed this course of action, but underlings are moving slowly in the run-up to national elections. We stand today on the cusp of a ‘Strangelovesque’ situation caused in part by the reluctance to control the manner in which technology and political events are driving the direction in which arsenals are headed, and in part due to lack of transparency. This is the predicament that is faced by nuclear force planners. There does not appear to be any other answer than to readjust nuclear postures, turn back the clock on tactical nuclear weapons, and re-tune doctrines with the aim of bringing about balance in posture. Policy must accommodate the reality of the tri-polar situation and the need for ‘convincing reassurances’ on the matter of rogue players.
Pakistan has virtually survived on grass to seek this security guarantee, and no amount of solicitation can convince either of the neighbours to review their policy options (although the bulk of this friendly advice has been Pakistan-centric). What is required, and can be facilitated by friends such as the US, primarily, is helping India and Pakistan strengthen their nuclear risk reduction and restraint regime, as well as address the concerns that are at the root of the entire problem.
Pakistan is not on an ego trip by trying to merely win the nuclear race, nor does it seek to take advantage of India’s proverbial catnap. Pakistan’s nuclear programme and preparedness has and remains purely driven by its genuine security needs. With no viable bilateral mechanism or external support in resolving long-standing disputes and conflicts, ranging from Sir Creek and water sharing to Kashmir, a growing conventional (weapons) asymmetry and deliberate apathy towards concerns voiced by Pakistan—whether with regard to an Indo-US strategic partnership, a de-hyphenation of India and Pakistan’s nuclear status, or turning a blind eye to Pakistan’s energy needs - compel the country to adopt indigenous measures for protecting and safeguarding its interests, like any other country would do in similar circumstances.
What...Pakistan have more nuclear weapons(120 warheads) compared to India's 110 warheads. This is an eye-opener for Indians. Make more Parhmanoo bombs.
@N.Sid: Unfortunately, we have a relatively free press. But Pakistan's power plant are all painted green after import from China, so there is no chance that it will reach the press even if it gets destroyed Godzilla style.
@Javed: That's fine if you survive till then before the snake you fed to bite us allows you to lvie.
@INDIANS: Just read the number of nukes Pakistan has and stop cowardly sponsoring terrorist groups in Pakistan! Your country will become history if there is another war between Pakistan and India!
@someone: Here are the links to substantiate the claims about the incident prone nature of India's nuclear facilities, civilian or military alike.
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Indias-Worst-Radiation-Accident/220865
http://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/What-We-Do/Nuclear-Unsafe/Safety/Nuclear-accidents/Nuclear-accidents-in-India/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/1-killed-2injured-in-accident-at-nuclear-submarine-under-construction-in-Visakhapatnam/articleshow/31686783.cms
The number of nuclear weapons of India and Pakistan might be the reason behind @junaid 's excitement :-). He might be thinking that Pakistan army is powerful than Indian army :-)
@Rabia: Could you please cite one example of nuclear accident in India?? Indian has been generating power through nuclear energy for more than three decades now. Also, no Indian has ever been caught/charged/involved in illegal nuclear proliferation like you A.Q Khan.
North Korea too has nukes. So what?
USSR had them too.
Yet, both are/were failed Nations.
Pakistan having nukes mean nothing when it has 43% Poverty and rising. It means nothing for the TTP when they bomb the daylights in Karachi.
Nukes are nothing to be proud of when they are the only thing in your kitty.
This will keep on going until one of the nations goes broke and collapses.
South Asia is predominantly viewed with historic rivalry of two states India and Pakistan since the very first day of statehood. There is a continued series of threats and skirmishes along with the threatening stimulus of arms race. India introduced nuclear at first which triggered Pakistan to go for nuclear tests simultaneously. Nuclear is an ingredient in the region which prevail the concept of deterrence in the region. But India continued obsession towards nuclear expansionism along with weapon up gradation and modernization develops a continued threat and security dilemma for Pakistan. Despite of so many dreadful challenges, Pakistan stood very firm for its political sovereignty and territorial integrity.
We are both foolish countries . Poor destined to become poorer .
Methinks even I am sure that every country has right to increase its nuclear capabilities without permission of any countries most especially importantly US or UNO,for its defence and for fulfilling the other energies related to nuclear technology,not only the advanced and Western countries of the world and no any countries have any rights to interfere in it.....
Pakistan has been a nuclear power for two decades, and has an effective nuclear security for its arsenal. There is never been any single incident in which you can say that Taliban got hold of nuclear weapons its nothing more than a propaganda or a blame game against Pakistan that nuclear here are not safe or Taliban can get hold of it scattered in facilities around the country. Whereas, India has been placed near bottom in nuclear material safety index. So are they well enough in securing its nuclear weapons. There is a largely ignored history of Indian illegal nuclear procurement, poor nuclear export controls and mismanagement of nuclear facilities. There are numerous hazardous nuclear installations in India that could lead to a major disaster with extraordinary bearing on the lives of large populations around these facilities. According to an Australian newspaper (The Age), there is no national policy in India on nuclear and radiation safety. Despite all this, India has never made an effort to adopt world standards and best practices for nuclear safety.
Though its a bitter fact that nuclear weapons which were used in WW-II left the countries being attacked impossible to come back to their original stature but in the post cold war era these nuclear weapons have some how used for deterrence purposes. If we talk about South Asia where India and Pakistan are the two potential rivals along with nuclear capabilities,both states despite of having short term conflicts and crises have not gone to full fledged nuclear war thus leading towards catastrophe and mutual destruction. India's conventional superiority, its quest for BMD system, desire for acquiring SLBMs and ICBMs, have some how forced Pakistan to be dependent on its nuclear forces just to maintain the regional strategic equilibrium.
The sad state of nation when as soon as we disagree with some one we start calling them Indian or whatever. Usman and all others who are incapable of taking truth, I suggest please grow up. Being honest to ourselves is foremost important thing. Calling me an Indian do not change facts.
India modernizing its nuclear weapons to counter China and not Pakistan. Get that clear. India wouldn't have spent so much in weapons if it was just Pakistan.
It is Pakistan's best friend China which is thinking twice whether to attack nuclear powered India.
Even at the most if Pakistan drops all its nuclear weapons on India, even Pakistan will be completely burned to ashes due to its small geographical area on border lining with India. For using such weapons Pakistani people will first have to move somewhere near Iran, Iraq or Afghanistan. Poor country.
And one thing, to destroy Pakistan we don't need N-weapons. We have nuclear shield. And also our conventional weapons are enough for Pakistan.
So my Pakistani friends, please don't be under the impression that India is modernizing its weapons to use against you. But it is for a powerful great nation China.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: But Pakistan Army yet to defend against the terrorists in their own country!
@junaid:
Junaid, what're you on? Must be something good.
@junaid: Keep dreaming as dreams come for free
@H Chaudhry: Another indian pretending to be Pakistani
Yeah Sure. Increase and make these nukes more modernized.
We will all be happy to know that we were killed by a sophisticated bomb!! Afterall we don't have any other priorities other than figuring most technically advanced way to kill!
:(
Pakistan military is more than capable of defending this nation. God bless Pakistan always against the evil designs of its enemies.
As long as Pakistan does not have its own GPS system, they can as well say goodbye attacking vital Indian installation even if the have the GPS coordinates. Pakistan currently relies on China for Global Positioning services and China by no means is going to allow a nuclear release in the neighborhood as its going to have an impact on China too. India is currently setting up its own GPS (IRNSS) with two of the seven satellites already positioned in space and the remaining to be launched in the next 18 months. India will not have to rely on the US or Russia for Global Positioning as they will have their own system in place. All Pakistan can hope is to take a missile close to the India-Pak border and launch it and hope it reaches some valuable target in India. The current Indian Mars mission is actually testing some very advanced technologies to be used in more advanced launch vehicles.Already preparations are in full swing for MIRV with 10 nuclear warheads.Meaning India will not require more than one missile for any of its adversaries as each will be able to carry 10 warheads each programmed to take out different vital installations.
India does not need to fight any war with Pakistan. Taliban and Al-Qaida are doing work for Indian army. Recently airport attack to killings going on in Pakistan is witness to that. According prestigious news weekly Economist Pakistan is one of the most dangerous place in the world.
@BlackJack:
Excellent reasoning! Now Pakistan is about destroy Talibanis forever.
@H Chaudhry: Yaar! You are one of many, (still a small number still)among Pakistanis who can think straight. Nuclear weapons are useless against nuclear armed enemies. They are not hand grenades that can be lobbed by a Sargent and then can duck into the fox hole!
@Moiz Omar: Yes, we have successfully deterred India with our nu cler weapons. The utility of these weapons is in their non-use.
@junaid: Lets see what would be the condition of Pakistan after this operation and following fall outs. Then may be you can think about engaging India in some sort of war.
@Shah (Berlin): So getting alms is a matter of pride for you???
@1984. Just hilarious.
@junaid: Nuclear weapons should only be used for deterrence. Not for offence. And we were wrong in 1971.
Nuclear weapons are a necessity for us because they serve as major defences against countries with much larger and more advanced militaries. Though we should try to make sure as much as possible that we never have to use them. Because nuclear weapons have the potential to wipe out the entire human race.
@shah during the flood even we(india) donated you. So Your point? North Korea too recieves aid for its people. Does that mean world views it with trust? Dude, world countries/charity organisation who donate, don't punish its people for thier state head's activities.. in time of crisis. And they are helping because they don't want things to go worse in the country than it is in the present, which may prove even more threatening to all.
Maybe both India and Pakistan should tackle poverty, illiteracy and fanaticism and modernize their country, and not their nuclear arsenal.
@Shah (Berlin): Was this before or after OBL was found hiding under the establishment's wings?. India also donated US$10million, then why are we your enemies?
@yajsingh:
Pakistan is not trusted by any nation..????? I live in Germany and during the flood Germans did not donate so generously. Therefore the german channel RTL, had a show which went atleast 1 hour long. They proved to the nation tht Pakistan is not a terror state. I must tell you that the Merkel herself came to this show....After the show Germans were the highest donator in Europe...
So please come out of this sick thinking of you .....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@H Chaudhry:
4-0 ...are you quoting Germany against Protugal...Sir please get your facts right it was and wil remain 2-1 with 1 as a draw...as quoted my most of the non-Pakistani military authors...!!!!
@Ali Tanoli Did nuclear weapons save pakistan from Kargil debacle? Mushraff pinned his hopes on nuclear and assumed India wouldn't react with its might. The result of such assumptions is - Pakistan is not trusted by any nation.
@Khan Bhai If thats your logic of victory then yes, in 65 India stopped at Lahore gates, something they would have easily captured as pak army had taken sever beating. 1945, the objective of pak army was J&K and they are still paying thru their nose for that transgression, along with forcing its own citizens to live in poverty. 1971, Siachen & Kargil are open and shut case. Now go home & do some math.
@Junaid We are equally eager and waiting for you to show some courage and fight like a man, instead of sending terrorist to kill innocents.
(ET, off late my comments are not being published. Why such censorship?)
Nuclear weapons are the weapons of deterrence and they have played vital role in regional peace and stability. Otherwise, India would have attacked Pakistan hundred times but Nukes are the biggest hurdle. Pakistan is safe having nuclear arsenal.
Nuclear war is like 2 men knee deep in a tub of gasoline and one has 110 matches and the other has 120....
@Khan Bhai: In the spirit of keeping score :) 1948: Nehru went to the UN instead of pushing the Pak army back all the way to where they came from. However, their objective was to occupy and integrate J&K into Pakistan. Foiled. Score 1 - 0. 1965: Operation Gibraltar becomes a resounding fiasco when Kashmiris inform the Indian army of infiltrators. Pak army objective was to wrest Kashmir. India occupied double the area that Pakistan occupied in far more fertile land. Finally status quo restored and Pak army objective foiled. Score 2 - 0. 1971: Defeat of the theory that defence of the East lies in the West when India wins a war on two fronts. Inhuman treatment of Bengalis ends and 93000 Pakistanis surrender. Score 3 - 0. 1984: India comes to know that Pakistanis are letting mountaneers into the Siachen area and that there are plans by Pak to occupy the heights which fall to the right of a vertical line through point NJ9842 on the map. India airlifts troops to Siachen and successfully retains it despite multiple failed operations by the Pak army. Score 4 - 0. 1999: Commando sends his people to occupy the heights of Kargil while Indian PM is showing respect to Pakistan at Minar-e-Pakistan. The infiltrators are labeled mujahideen and their army refuses to acknowledge them. Finally ever single infiltrator is dispatched and India retakes the entire territory. Pak objective was to retain Kargil heights, result was global condemnation, forever eliminating the hitherto Indo-Pak hyphenation. Score 5 - 0.
Pakistan has never been indulged into nuclear arms race with any adversary rather regional constraints compel Pakistan to develop its nukes. Whereas India modernizing conventional as well as nuclear arsenal. The rapid growth can be seen via latest Indian missile developments including ICBM tests.
@khan bhai: ok we will be liberal, we shall give 4-0 in favour of pakistan, if it makes you happy.
ali S, hahaha, first go and get some knowledge abt who u are and where u live, who are ur enemies and how they are !
@junaid:
You do realize that if your idiotic rhetoric was put into action, I don't know what will happen to India (nothing good, for sure), but Pakistan will cease to exist.
Very Impressed to see Wise Comments from all so far JUNAID is Exception let him be exception he msut be follower of Zaid Ahmed or HameeD Gul... World needs Peace..
@H Chaudhry: 0-4?
1948: Pakistan won Azad Kashmir. 1965: Complete failure on part of Indian Army who failed to achieve any of its objectives while Pakistan Air Force scored a decisive victory. 1971: Pakistan did the right thing.
And the '4th' on never even started.
It's 2-1 at best, my Indian friend behind a Pakistan name.
@junaid Another retarded Pakistani whose thinking will lose whatever little remains of the country.
Junaid is right or not but one is for sure these weapons of mass destruction made peace for us and for entire neighbourhood thank u mr Bhutto and his others.
@ekon: junaid is already Thinking... LOL
@junaid: Are you mad? Only 2 bombs were dropped in WW2 and you can still see aftermath of those until now. Disabled & deformed babies are still born in those two cities.
We need only few for our defense and that it. No idea why we still continue drain bankrupt country's money on this crazy invention.
Today countries are controlled economically.
@Junaid We are 0-4 vs India in wars, how many scores you want to settle? What exactly is settling score, Kashmir will never ever be part of Pakistan and at best LOC will/should become border. Lets worry about settling score with India on economic issues, trade issues and get done with stupid rhetoric. No WAR ever never.
Junaid thats no so wise to say. The world needs to resolve all outstanding issues like Palestine, Kashmir, Korea, Taiwan etc. Also the world needs to dismantle all nuclear weapons for a peaceful future for our kids.
from another Pakistani
@junaid: Killing people can not be justified. 1971 is past and people there (Bangladesh) are happy than us. leave them alone. learn from ur past
@junaid: Don't embarrasses the rest of our nation with such foolish statement. I would request you to come out of Zaid Hamid mentality for the betterment of whole world.
lol only a fool would think in 21st century they can use Nukes without retaliation from rest of the world.
We need more so that India can never think about attacking us. Inshallah we will settle the scores of 1971 after waziristan opration