Which nations have nuclear weapons in their arsenal and how many are there?
Between nine countries, an estimated 12,705 nuclear warheads are being held, with a single warhead possessing the capability to kill hundreds of thousands, with lasting and devastating consequences.
The Chief of the Defence Staff has recently warned that the international community is entering a third nuclear age and stressed the need for reform in the UK Armed Forces.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin spoke of the Cold War as the first nuclear age, governed by the risk of uncontrollable escalation, while disarmament efforts defined the second age – and that takes Britain to now – "defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas".
But who has what, in terms of nuclear, in their armoury?
BFBS Forces News has taken a look at which countries possess and host what.
Nine countries in the world possess nuclear weapons: the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea.
Six other nations host nuclear weapons: Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands for the US and Belarus for Russia.
The nine countries possess an estimated 12,705 nuclear warheads and, of those, 9,440 are thought to be operational nuclear warheads, including those kept in reserve.
However, these are not equally shared among the nations.
Around 90% of the total known global nuclear weapons inventory is held by Russia, which retains the largest nuclear arsenal, and the US.
The status of the nuclear weapon states differs within the international community.
Here's a look at the nuclear weapons possessed by some nations.
United States
The US has approximately 100 tactical nuclear weapons forward-deployed at six bases in five European Nato countries – Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Turkey.
In 2001, US nuclear weapons were removed from Greece and also later from the UK in 2008.
The new START treaty is the only arms control agreement in existence which limits US and Russian strategic nuclear weapons. However, there are no arms control limitations on tactical (non-strategic) nuclear weapons.
The START treaty was the first treaty that required US and Soviet/Russian reductions of strategic nuclear weapons.
UK
The UK adopts a posture of minimal credible nuclear deterrence, assigned to the defence of Nato and does not have a policy of 'no-first-use'.
According to Parliament, there is a "ceiling of no more than 260 warheads" in the UK's nuclear stockpile with a precise figure for the stockpile "unclear".
The UK is the only nuclear weapon state that has reduced to a single deterrent system.
In July 2024, the Labour government reaffirmed its commitment to the nuclear deterrent.
Sir Keir Starmer told BFBS Forces News that decades of commitment to nuclear defence would be guaranteed ahead of Labour's election win.
The UK is estimated to have 120 'operationally available' nuclear weapons which are sea-based.
The submarine-based system, Polaris, entered service in 1968, with the V-Bombers stepping down from their nuclear role in 1969.
For 11 years, Polaris remained the UK's nuclear deterrent but, in 1980, the UK procured the Trident missile system involving submarine-launched ballistic missiles purchased from the US.
Still, the UK's nuclear deterrent today, Trident is housed in four Vanguard-class submarines built in 1994, with Polaris eventually taken out of service in 1996.
The UK government announced the next generation of nuclear submarines in 2016, the Dreadnought-class of subs which can produce their own oxygen and water, measure 153m in length and are expected to enter service in the 2030s.
Russia
Russia's arsenal of nuclear weapons is estimated to consist of almost 6,000 warheads.
A study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in January suggested that Russia is far more willing to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield than Nato.
Nato sees these weapons as a last resort, but it seems Russia does not share that view, according to William Alberque, the director of strategy, technology and arms control at the IISS.
"If Russia believes they have escalation dominance, in other words in a conflict they are always willing to go slightly further than the United States and the Nato allies are willing to go, then Putin might get it into his head to launch a surprise attack," he said.
The report concludes that the West needs to monitor Russia's nuclear activities and exercises more closely.
China
China first began to develop nuclear weapons during the Cold War and has since maintained a modest arsenal.
Independent researchers estimate that China has approximately 440 nuclear weapons, which it can launch from missiles, submarines, and aircraft.
Between 1964 and 1996, the nation has conducted a reported 45 nuclear tests on its territory.
In 2022, China spent an estimated $11.7bn to build and maintain its nuclear forces.
China, as well as the US and Russia, possesses smaller numbers of non-strategic (or tactical) nuclear warheads, which are shorter-range, lower-yield weapons, and are not subject to any treaty limits.
However, unlike Russia and the US, China does not keep its missiles on hair-trigger alert.
France
France conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1960.
Most of France's arsenal (approximately 290 deployed nuclear weapons) are based on submarines, with the remainder on air-launched cruise missiles.
France sees its deterrence strategy as strictly defensive with the French government having committed to a long-term modernisation programme for its nuclear forces but it does not plan to increase the size of its nuclear stockpile.
Israel
It is universally believed that Israel possesses nuclear arms stored in a partially disassembled state, however, Israel continues not to acknowledge having nuclear weapons.
Israel is estimated to have 90 nuclear warheads and, while the nation does not admit nor deny having nuclear weapons, it states that it will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons in the Middle East.
North Korea
The US has made multiple failed attempts to limit North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.
In October, North Korea carried out its longest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile test, with South Korea warning Pyongyang could get help from Russia on missile development.
North Korea is estimated to have approximately 30 nuclear warheads and likely possesses additional fissile material that is not weaponised.
There is a high degree of uncertainty surrounding these estimates.
India
It is reported that India possesses approximately 164 nuclear weapons, which it can launch from missiles and, most likely, aircraft. It may also be able to launch them from submarines.
India has conducted a total of three nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998.
Conflicts with Pakistan have historically been the focus of India's nuclear programme.
Pakistan
It is estimated that Pakistan possesses up to 172 nuclear warheads.
Analysts believe that Pakistan has steadily grown its arsenal in recent years and is still producing more.
The future size and makeup of its arsenal likely depend heavily on what India does.
US science advocacy organisation Union of Concerned Scientists believes that "an increased emphasis on short-range, tactical nuclear weapons, however, raises concerns that Pakistan may be lowering the threshold for using these weapons".
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