World Nuclear Powers Reduce And Modernise Their Arsenals, Study Reveals

The overall number of nuclear weapons in the world is declining, as all the states that possess them are investing in modernising their arsenal, a new study has revealed.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), at the start of 2017 nine countries owned a total of approximately 14,935 nuclear weapons, down from 15,395 in 2016.

SIPRI Senior Researcher Shannon Kile said:

"Despite the recent progress in international talks on a treaty banning nuclear weapons, long-term modernization programmes are under way in all nine states.

"This suggests that none of these states will be prepared to give up their nuclear arsenals for the foreseeable future."

The implementation of the American-Russian bilateral Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms in 2011 hasn't been as effective as hoped, as the US is set to spend $400 billion by 2026 on an update of its nuclear forces.

The other seven nuclear nations listed all have fewer than 300 warheads each, including the UK, which plans for a new trident missile submarine system.

North Korea was estimated to possess enough fissile material for about 10-20 nuclear warheads, which is an increase on the estimates of previous years, SIPRI said.

The country carried out an unprecedented number of flight tests of different missile systems in 2016, obtaining mixed results.

Kim Jong Un says his country is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that will be capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US.