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India is estimated to person modestly expanded its atomic arsenal successful 2025 and continued processing caller atomic transportation systems, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2026 released connected Monday (June 8, 2026).
The study estimated that India’s atomic stockpile had accrued to astir 190 warheads by aboriginal 2026. SIPRI noted that New Delhi’s ongoing atomic modernisation programme is progressively focused connected processing longer-range weapons susceptible of reaching targets crossed China, portion continuing to code information concerns arising from its long-standing rivalry with Pakistan.
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The yearly appraisal of planetary armaments, disarmament and planetary information besides highlighted the May 2025 India-Pakistan subject confrontation, describing Operation Sindoor arsenic an “unusually terrible subject crisis” betwixt the 2 nuclear-armed neighbours.
According to SIPRI, India carried retired strikes during the struggle against Pakistani aerial and rocket bases that were apt to person nuclear-related roles. However, the institute observed that some countries took measures to forestall further escalation contempt heightened tensions.
The study further noted that India and Pakistan integrated cyber operations into progressive subject struggle for the archetypal clip during the crisis, underscoring the evolving quality of modern warfare and deterrence successful South Asia.
Beyond the atomic domain, India retained its presumption arsenic the world’s fifth-largest subject spender successful 2025. SIPRI estimated India’s subject expenditure astatine $92.1 billion, an summation of 8.9% implicit the erstwhile year. The state ranked down lone the United States, China, Russia and Germany successful defence spending.
India besides remained the world’s second-largest importer of large arms during the 2021-25 period, accounting for 8.2% of planetary arms imports. SIPRI identified Ukraine, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan arsenic the 5 largest arms importers, collectively accounting for 35% of planetary imports during the period.
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The study said each 9 nuclear-armed states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel—continued to modernise their arsenals and progressively relied connected atomic weapons arsenic instruments of nationalist power.
Globally, the 9 countries possessed an estimated 12,187 atomic warheads astatine the commencement of 2026, of which astir 9,745 were held successful subject stockpiles for imaginable use. SIPRI warned that portion wide warhead numbers proceed to diminution owed to the dismantling of retired weapons by the United States and Russia, the gait of reductions is slowing arsenic caller warheads are added to nationalist stockpiles.
