India has deployed nuclear warheads for the first time, shows Sipri data
India has deployed 12 nuclear warheads, which is reportedly a first, shows data from Sipri, a Swedish think tank on conflict, armaments and arms control
India has deployed 12 nuclear warheads, which is reportedly a first, shows data from Sipri, a Swedish think tank on conflict, armaments and arms control. The report also reveals that China has increased the number of nuclear warheads it deployed to 34 from 24 in 2025. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on Monday made public its SIPRI Yearbook 2026 in which it said that countries were now "increasingly relying on nuclear weapons as instruments of national power". Read Full Story The report said that approximately 4,012 nuclear warheads remain deployed with missiles and aircraft. "Of the total global inventory of an estimated 12,187 warheads in January 2026, about 9,745 were in military stockpiles for potential use," said the Sipri report.
This would be the first time that the Sipri report shows a part of India's nuclear warheads as operationally deployed while most of it remained in stockpile. While the report suggests that Pakistan has not deployed any nuclear warheads, SIPRI's 2024 report estimated that China had deployed 24, reflecting Beijing's growing emphasis on a ready nuclear deterrent. In May 2025, India and Pakistan — two countries with nuclear weapons — fought a four-day war. With Pakistan using its warheads to blackmail, India, in a way, called its nuclear bluff. "... World events — not least the outbreak of conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan — are challenging nuclear deterrence logic," noted Sipri, adding that dangers associated with nuclear weapons were growing.
India, Sipri says, might have slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2025 and continued development of new types of nuclear-delivery systems. The Sipri counts nine countries with nuclear warheads. The countries are the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel. The annual report said that 2,100–2,200 of the deployed warheads were kept in a state of high operational alert on ballistic missiles. "Nearly all of these warheads belonged to Russia or the USA, and, to a lesser extent, France and the UK, but China and India may now occasionally deploy a small number of warheads mounted on missiles during peacetime," it said.
As of January 2026, India had deployed 12 nuclear warheads while China had 34. In the case of China, it was an increase from 24 in 2025. While the US has deployed 1,770 warheads, Russia has 1,796. France comes third, having deployed 280 warheads. The UK has deployed 120 warheads. Ends
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