For the first time in three years, the United States named the number of nuclear warheads: Defense Express explained the importance
Date: 2024-07-25 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WORLD
The American National Nuclear Security Administration has revealed for the first time since 2021 the number of nuclear weapons at the Pentagon's disposal.
According to Defense Express, as of September 2023, the United States has 3,748 charges in its arsenal. This includes both active and inactive warheads. However, this number does not include nuclear warheads that have been removed from service and are awaiting disposal. At the same time, in 2023, the United States announced 1,419 deployed warheads.
It is noted that in 2017, the number of nuclear warheads decreased from 4018 units to 3822 and since then has actually remained stable. The current level was also in 1956, but then there was a rapid build-up of weapons. In 1962, this figure reached 25,540 charges, and in 1967 - 31,255 units.
“At the time of the collapse of the USSR in 1991, there were 19,008 in the United States, after which an avalanche-like reduction of nuclear weapons began to about 11 thousand in just two years. And the next wave of reduction took place between 2002 and 2008, when out of 10.5 thousand there were 5 left, 2 thousand nuclear charges As for the latest changes in the number of American nuclear weapons, against the background of this, a fluctuation within one hundred is really perceived differently, because since 1991, 15,260 charges have been reduced,” experts say.
In their opinion, the decline since 1991 is due to the fact that the Pentagon has reduced its stockpiles of tactical nuclear weapons by 90%, while strategic weapons, although they have become smaller, are only due to the winding down and decommissioning of heavy LGM-118 weapons in 2005 Mine-based Peacekeeper.
At the same time, it is added that official data from the United States is quite at odds with the most widely circulated estimates from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, which estimated the American stockpile at 5,044 warheads as of 2024.
According to analysts, NNSA accompanied the publication of information with a statement that “increasing transparency is important for nonproliferation and disarmament efforts.” This probably indicates that Washington is expecting similar steps from the Russian Federation and China, although Moscow suspended the treaty in 2023.
“Moreover, if the United States disclosed the number of all charges, including tactical ones, then the Russian Federation has never disclosed the number of tactical nuclear charges. From what is known, only US intelligence estimates are 1000-2000 units. But it is quite possible that such openness on the part of Washington is nothing else , as a reminder that not only Moscow can rattle its nuclear arsenal,” concluded Defense Express.
