List of current nuclear triads

The following list of nuclear triads, deployed in 2024, includes all five countries known to possess them (United States, Russia, China, India and Pakistan). Where available, the names and number of nuclear warheads are given. The list excludes non-strategic (tactical) nuclear weapons.

The United States and Russia, previously Soviet Union, have been wielding their nuclear triads since the 1960s. Pakistan completed its nuclear triad in 2017,[1] India in 2018[2] and China in 2020.[3]

United States

Further information: Nuclear weapons of the United States
Land
Weapon Type Warhead Number of warheads Delivery
LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM W78 / W87[4] 400[5][a] Ground silo
Sea
Weapon Type Warhead Number of warheads Delivery
Trident II D5 SLBM W76-0/1/2, W88[4] 1920[6][b] Ohio-class submarines
Air
Weapon Type Warhead Delivery
AGM-86B/C/D ALCM W80-1[4] B-52H Stratofortress
B61-7/11, B83-1 Unguided bomb N/a B-2A Spirit

Russia

Further information: Nuclear weapons of Russia
Land
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
RS-24 Yars ICBM 772[7] Ground silo / transporter erector launcher
RS-20V Voyevoda[c] ICBM 340[7] Ground silo
RT-2PM2 Topol-M ICBM 78[7] Ground silo / transporter erector launcher
Avangard missile complex ICBM 7[7] Ground silo
Sea
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
RSM-56 Bulava SLBM 576[7] Borei-class submarines
R-29RMU Sineva / Layner SLBM 320[7] Delta-III and Delta IV-class submarines
Air
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
Kh-55, Kh-102 ALCM 448[7] Tupolev Tu-95MS
Kh-55, Kh-102 ALCM 132[7] Tupolev Tu-160

India

Further information: Nuclear weapons of India
Land
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
Agni-I SRBM ~20[8] Transporter erector launcher / rail mobile
Agni-II SRBM ~8[8] Transporter erector launcher
Agni-III IRBM ~8[8] Transporter erector launcher / rail mobile
Agni-IV IRBM N/a Transporter erector launcher/ rail mobile
Agni-V ICBM N/a Transporter erector launcher / rail mobile
Prithvi-II SRBM ~24[8] Transporter erector launcher
Sea
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
Dhanush ShLBM ~4[8] Sukanya-class patrol vessels
Sagarika (K-15) SLBM 12[8] INS Arihant, INS Arighaat
K-4 SLBM — INS Arighaat, INS Aridhaman
K-5 SLBM — INS Arisudan, S5 Class Submarines
Air
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
Classified 20-kt bomb Unguided bomb ~16[8] Dassault Mirage 2000H
? Unguided and laser guided bombs ~32[8] SEPECAT Jaguar

Pakistan

Further information: Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction
Land[9]
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
Nasr SRBM 24 Transporter erector launcher
Abdali-I SRBM 10 Transporter erector launcher
Ghaznavi SRBM 16 Transporter erector launcher
Shaheen-I SRBM 16 Transporter erector launcher
Shaheen-II MRBM 24 Transporter erector launcher
Shaheen-III MRBM — Transporter erector launcher
Ghauri MRBM 24 Transporter erector launcher
Ababeel MRBM 24 Transporter erector launcher
Babur-1 GLCM 12 Transporter erector launcher
Sea[9]
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
Babur-III SLCM — Agosta-class submarine
Air[9]
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
Ra'ad ALCM 36 Dassault Mirage III/V
Ra'ad-II ALCM Dassault Mirage III/V

China

Further information: Nuclear weapons of China
Land
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
DF-5A ICBM 6[10] Ground silo
DF-5B ICBM 60[10] Ground silo
DF-21A/E MRBM ? Mobile launcher
DF-26 IRBM 108[10] Mobile launcher
DF-31 ICBM ? Ground silo / transporter erector launcher
DF-31A ICBM 24[10]
DF-31AG ICBM 64[10] Mobile launcher
DF-41 ICBM 84[10] Ground silo / transporter erector launcher, rail mobile
Sea
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
JL-2, JL-3 SLBM 0 (for the JL-2), 72 (for the JL-3)[10] Type 094 submarines
Air
Weapon Type Number of warheads Delivery
DF-21[d] ALBM 10[10] Xi'an H-6N
? Unguided bomb 10[10] Xi'an H-6K

See also

Notes

  1. ^ If authorized by the President, Minuteman III could carry up to two additional warheads.[4]
  2. ^ Of them 1511 W76-1, 384 W88 and 25 W76-2.[6]
  3. ^ Expected to be replaced by RS-28 Sarmat.
  4. ^ Reportedly, China also possesses CJ-10K and CJ-20 nuclear-capable ALCMs, as well as nuclear-capable YJ-21 ALBM delivered by Xi'an H-6K bomber.[11]

References

  1. ^ Emanuel Sarfraz (11 January 2017). "Pakistan enters nuke triad club". Lowy Institute. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
  2. ^ Dinakar Peri. "INS Arighaat, India's second nuclear ballistic missile submarine, commissioned into service". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ "How is China Modernizing its Nuclear Forces?". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Nuclear Delivery Systems". Nuclear Matters Handbook. Acquisition & Sustainment Office of the Under Secretary of Defense. 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  5. ^ "America's Nuclear Triad". Department of Defense. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Каким ядерным оружием обладают западные страны" (in Russian). RBK Group. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Какое ядерное оружие есть у России и США. Инфографика" (in Russian). RBK Group. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Hans M. Kristensen, Matt Korda (2018). "Indian nuclear forces, 2018". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 74 (6). Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Kristensen, Hans M.; Korda, Matt; Johns, Eliana; Knight-Boyle, Mackenzie (2025-09-03). "Pakistan nuclear weapons, 2025". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 81 (5): 386–408. doi:10.1080/00963402.2025.2543685. ISSN 0096-3402.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hans M. Kristensen, Matt Korda, Eliana Johns, Mackenzie Knight (15 January 2024). "Chinese nuclear weapons, 2024" (PDF). Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved 26 October 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Mark B. Schneider. "China's nuclear delivery vehicles" (PDF). Journal of Policy & Strategy. 4 (3). National Institute for Public Policy. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
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