Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2025 Warns of a New Nuclear Arms Race | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2025 Warns of a New Nuclear Arms Race

Posted 17 Jun 2025

1 min read

Key Findings 

  • Global Nuclear Stockpile Decline: Since the end of the Cold War, the number of retired warheads has exceeded new deployments. 
  • Countries Expanding Stockpile: China is expanding fastest, with its stockpile now at least 600 warheads.
    • India’s arsenal increased from 172 to 180 warheads, more than Pakistan's (170). 
  • Modernisation: In 2024, all 9 nuclear-armed countries continued to modernise their arsenals.
  • Status of Fissile Materials: The explosive material utilized in nuclear weapons is fissile material, either highly enriched uranium (HEU) or separated plutonium
    • China, and Pakistan have produced both HEU and plutonium for use in their nuclear weapons. 
    • India and Israel have produced mainly plutonium.
  • Emerging Threats: 
    • Modern Technologies: The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), cyber capabilities, space assets, missile defence and quantum are radically creating potential sources of instability. 
  • Arms control in crisis: While New START remains in force until early 2026, there are no signs of negotiations to renew or replace it. 

 

An image showing details of Initiatives to contain nuclear proliferation including NPT,  PTBT, CTBT, TPNW, and New START Treaty
  • Tags :
  • SIPRI
  • Arms Race
  • NPT
  • CTBT
  • PTBT
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