The number of nuclear warheads in usable stockpiles is rising, warns the Norwegian nuclear watchdog, Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor.
According to the well-respected organisation, the worldβs nine nuclear-armed states had a combined arsenal of 12,705 nuclear warheads at the beginning of 2022.
Of these, an estimated 9,440 warheads β with a collective yield equivalent to approximately 138,000 Hiroshima-bombs β constituted βusable stockpilesβ, available for use by the nuclear armed states on their missiles, aircraft, submarines and ships.
In addition, an estimated 3,265 retired, older warheads were awaiting dismantlement in Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The United Statesβ usable stockpile increased slightly in 2019 but declined again in 2020 and 2021, while Franceβs and Israelβs stockpiles have remained constant.
The total number of…
