US and Russia reduce, but also modernize their nuclear arsenals
The United States and Russia, the two most powerful nuclear powers of the world, continue to reduce the size of their arsenals, but not cease to update, today highlighted the International Research Institute for Peace in Stockholm (SIPRI). Nine countries (USA, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea) had 15 395 nuclear warheads at the beginning of 2016, of which 4,120 were in high operational readiness, when data of SIPRI. In early 2015, their number was 15.850.
"The stock of nuclear weapons declined from the peak of 70,000 nuclear warheads, which was recorded in the mid-1980s decline was mainly due to reductions made in the arsenals of the Russians and the Americans," the researchers note the SIPRI Shannon Kyle and Hans Christensen. These reductions were the result of three international agreements signed since 1991, as well as unilateral initiatives of the two global nuclear superpowers. Russia estimates that it had 7,290 nuclear warheads in early 2016, while the US is approximately 7,000. The two countries in the Institute's calculations have 93% of nuclear weapons worldwide.
The United States and Russia, the two most powerful nuclear powers of the world, continue to reduce the size of their arsenals, but not cease to update, today highlighted the International Research Institute for Peace in Stockholm (SIPRI). Nine countries (USA, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea) had 15 395 nuclear warheads at the beginning of 2016, of which 4,120 were in high operational readiness, when data of SIPRI. In early 2015, their number was 15.850.
"The stock of nuclear weapons declined from the peak of 70,000 nuclear warheads, which was recorded in the mid-1980s decline was mainly due to reductions made in the arsenals of the Russians and the Americans," the researchers note the SIPRI Shannon Kyle and Hans Christensen. These reductions were the result of three international agreements signed since 1991, as well as unilateral initiatives of the two global nuclear superpowers. Russia estimates that it had 7,290 nuclear warheads in early 2016, while the US is approximately 7,000. The two countries in the Institute's calculations have 93% of nuclear weapons worldwide.