Hot Takes on Nukes: Here's What's Really Going Down
Nations accumulate their nuclear stockpiles
Quit believing the peace propaganda - the days of nuclear disarmament are dead! According to Sipri, the lengthy era of minimizing nukes post-Cold War is well and truly over. So, who's stockpiling these suckers? Well, we're talking China, baby, with more warheads than ever reported!
A peek at the stats tells the tale - as of January 2025, approximately 9,614 warheads are just sitting there, ready for when someone says, "Nuke 'em!" By the way, a ladle (around) 2,100 of 'em are on high alert on ballistic missiles, but shhh, it's mostly the US and Russia who're hoarding 'em!
Sipri, through their annual weapons inventory, announced, "Bye-bye to fewer nukes, hello escalating tensions and the ditching of treaties!" They explained that countries are itching to beef up their nukes, not to mention the increased finger-pointing and the abandoning of anti-nuclear agreements.
The nuclear bad boys - the US, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel - well, they're all eager to build their arsenals according to Sipri. Russia and the US, who hold the majority of the world's nukes, have kept the number of operational warheads relatively stable in 2024, but are working on fancy modernization programs to expand their arsenals, possibly in the future.
But who's morphed into the Schwarzenegger of nukes? China, of course! The Chinese have been adding about a hundred warheads yearly since 2023. By the end of the decade, they could boast intercontinental missiles as many as those held by Russia or the US! The current estimate is that Russia and the US hold around 5,459 and 5,177 warheads, respectively, while China holds around 600.
Don't say we didn't warn ya, folks! Strap in for a wild ride into a world where we might just kick-start the next arms race!
[1] ntv.de[2] rog/rts[3] Satellite data cited[4] Global spending on nuclear weapons 2024 report
It's concerning to note that the community policy regarding nuclear weapons is shifting, prompting discussions in war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news. This transition comes as countries continue to stockpile nuclear warheads, with China playing a significant role in this escalation.
