The American National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) disclosed the number of nuclear weapons in the Pentagon's possession after a multi-year pause. This is the first disclosure of the number of both strategic and tactical nuclear warheads since 2021, when this data was classified.
According to the report, the American nuclear arsenal as of September 2023 includes 3,748 warheads. This number comprises both active and inactive warheads but does not include nuclear warheads that have been retired and are awaiting disposal. It is worth noting that in 2023, the U.S. declared 1,419 deployed warheads.
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It should be noted that the number of warheads has remained relatively stable since 2017 when the count dropped from 4,018 to 3,822. The current level is actually comparable to that of 1956, although at that time, the U.S. nuclear arsenal was rapidly expanding, reaching 25,540 warheads in 1962 and peaking at 31,255 in 1967.
At the time of the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, the U.S. had 19,008 nuclear warheads. This number rapidly decreased to around 11,000 within just two years. Another major reduction occurred between 2002 and 2008, when the count dropped from 10,500 to 5,200 warheads. Given the recent minor fluctuations within a range of one hundred, the reduction of 15,260 warheads since 1991 is particularly notable.
Specifically, this decline since 1991 is explained by the Pentagon reducing its tactical nuclear weapons stockpile by 90%. Meanwhile, the number of strategic nuclear weapons decreased primarily due to the retirement and decommissioning of the LGM-118 Peacekeeper missile in 2005.
It is worth noting that official data from the United States significantly differs from the most widely circulated estimates by SIPRI, which assessed American stockpiles at 5,044 warheads as of 2024, nearly 1,300 more than the actual number.
The disclosure of this information was also accompanied by a statement from the NNSA, which said that such "increased transparency" regarding nuclear stockpiles is "important for nonproliferation and disarmament efforts." This implies that Washington now expects russia and China to take similar steps. This expectation is objectively quite surprising, especially given that moscow suspended the START III treaty in 2023.
Moreover, while the United States has disclosed the number of all warheads, including tactical ones, russia has never revealed the number of its tactical nuclear warheads. The only known figures are U.S. intelligence estimates, which range from 1,000 to 2,000 units.
However, it is quite possible that such transparency from Washington is merely a reminder that moscow is not the only one capable of threatening with its nuclear arsenal.
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