Era of nuclear arms control ends

The era of arms control over nuclear arsenals is about to end as New START – the last treaty capping operational missiles and warheads in the world’s two largest arsenals – expires

WARHEADS (thousands)
United States
USSR/Russia
Total

Nuclear arms control treaties*

1968
NPT

1972
SALT I

1979
SALT II

1987
INF

1991
START I

1993
START II

2002
SORT

2010
New START
Caps number of deployed strategic warheads at 1,550 on each side

2021
New START
extended

39,015
1986
70,374
40,159
23,317
9,490
29,561
31,092
2025
12,241
4,309
3,700
10,114
10,457

Feb 4, 2026: New START expires at midnight

1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70

*NPT: Non-Proliferation Treaty. SALT I, SALT II: Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
INF: Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
START I, START II, New START: Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
SORT: Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty

WARHEADS (2025 estimates)

Russia: 4,309 (1,718 deployed strategic†)
United States: 3,700 (1,770)
China: 600 (24)
France: 290 (280)
UK: 225 (120)
India: 180 (0), Pakistan: 170 (0) Israel: 90 (0), North Korea: 50 (0)

†Includes those on ballistic missiles, at bomber bases, and, in case of U.S., 100 non-strategic bombs deployed in Europe

Sources: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Federation of American Scientists
Picture: Getty Images
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