RT reported that, according to a new document released by the US National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) on July 19, as of September 2023, the US nuclear stockpile had 3,748 warheads.
The NNSA document shows that the size of the stockpile remained almost the same compared to 2021, the last time the US released data to the public. At that time, Washington said the country had 3,750 warheads as of September 2020. The statistics include both active and inactive warheads, but do not include decommissioned warheads.
The agency noted that from 1994 to 2023, the US dismantled 12,088 nuclear warheads, 405 of which were dismantled between 2020 and 2023, and about 2,000 additional nuclear warheads are now decommissioned. operational and awaiting dismantling.
The current number is down sharply from 1967, when the stockpile peaked at 31,255 warheads, NNSA said.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), by 2024, the US will still be the world's second largest nuclear power with a total of 5,044 warheads. SIPRI data shows that Russia is the largest nuclear power with 5,580 warheads.
The number of US nuclear warheads began to steadily decline at the height of the Cold War as Washington and Moscow engaged in fruitful arms control negotiations.
In the context of stalled dialogue due to worsening US-Russian relations, partly due to the Ukraine conflict , the two powers are still committed to implementing the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), in which The limit on the number of nuclear weapons deployed in each country is 1,550.
However, a SIPRI report in June warned that the world is in "one of the most dangerous periods in human history", as global powers continue to strengthen and modernize their warehouses. their nuclear weapons .
Researchers note that tensions over Ukraine and Gaza play an important role in weakening global nuclear diplomacy.
