Nuclear Arsenals on the Rise – Shocking Find!
(DailyVantage.com) – Until the last few years, the world’s nuclear arsenals were on a declining trend since the end of the Cold War. For many people, the idea of a nuclear war was something that lived in the back of their minds, not quite forgotten, but not an issue of utmost concern. Yet, the last few years have given way to more worry. This year, nuclear proliferation became a hot topic of discussion because of Ukraine’s invasion at the hands of the Russians. President Vladimir Putin has alluded to the fact that launching nuclear weapons isn’t off the table if the West interferes. Now, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) warns that the arsenals are on an upward trend — and that concerns the world.
SIPRI Yearbook 2022
Nine nuclear states inhabit the world. In addition to the United States and Russia, the UK, France, India, China, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel all have nuclear arsenals. The bulk — 90% of the weapons — belongs to Russia and the US. These two countries have also tested the most, at 1,588 and 1,744, respectively.
According to SIPRI, there was a minor decline from January 2021 to January 2022 resulting from dismantling outdated warheads the military retired years before. However, actual production and stockpiles are on an upward trend, according to SIPRI’s Director of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme, Wilfred Wan. Not only is the reserve increasing in the countries, but the militaries are also developing more significant strategies involving nuclear weapons, and that, says Wan, is a “very worrying trend.”
Countries Increasing Nuclear Capability Exponentially
The trend of testing missiles has increased in recent years, particularly in North Korea and China. According to SIPRI’s 2022 yearbook, China is expanding its arsenal substantially. The country is in the midst of developing 300 new silos, something to keep an eye on given its increasing aggression towards Taiwan and the deterioration of its relationship with the US. Additionally, the country has reportedly acquired a new submarine and multiple mobile launchers.
China isn’t the only one expanding, though. Pakistan and India also worked to develop new systems in 2021, while France developed a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). The UK refuses to publicly discuss its arsenal, despite its calls for China and Russia to be more transparent. North Korea has 20 nuclear missiles in its stockpile, but it’s also believed the country has enough materials on hand to produce 25 to 35 more.
The SIPRI yearbook 2022 has turned out to be a cautionary tale because countries are reversing the prior trend of decreasing stockpiles and, instead, building even more elaborate systems to increase their arsenals should the inevitable happen. “If the nuclear… states take no immediate and concrete action [toward] disarmament, then the [worldwide] inventory of nuclear warheads could soon [start increasing] for the first time since the cold war,” according to Matt Korda, also of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme.
What do you think about these countries potentially increasing their stockpiles? Is nuclear war a legitimate threat at this point?
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