India has deployed nuclear warheads for the first time, shows data from Sipri, a Swedish think tank on conflict, armaments, and arms control. The report reveals India deployed 12 warheads, and China increased the number of deployed warheads to 34 in 2025.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on Monday made public its SIPRI Yearbook 2026 in which it said that countries were now “increasingly relying on nuclear weapons as instruments of national power”.
The report said that approximately 4,012 nuclear warheads remain deployed with missiles and aircraft across the world.
“Of the total global inventory of an estimated 12,187 warheads in January 2026, about 9,745 were in military stockpiles for potential use,” said the Sipri report.
This would be the first time that the Sipri report shows a part of India’s nuclear warheads as operationally deployed, while most of them remained in stockpile.
Stockpiled or stored warheads are nuclear warheads kept in reserve or storage. They are maintained by the armed forces but are not mounted on delivery systems, meaning they cannot be used immediately. They can be deployed onto weapon systems when required.
In contrast, deployed warheads are nuclear warheads that are already mounted on operational delivery platforms and kept ready for immediate or near-immediate use.
India can deliver its 12 deployed nuclear warheads through a variety of systems across all three domains of its nuclear triad. These include the Indian Navy’s Arihant-class nuclear-powered submarines, the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000 and SEPECAT Jaguar fighters, and potentially its Rafale and Su-30MKI aircraft. On land, India fields a wide range of nuclear-capable missiles, including the Agni, Prithvi, Nirbhay, and BrahMos series.
While the report suggests that Pakistan has not deployed any nuclear warheads, SIPRI’s 2024 report estimated that China had deployed 24, reflecting Beijing’s growing emphasis on a ready nuclear deterrent.
In May 2025, India and Pakistan — two countries with nuclear weapons — fought a four-day war. With Pakistan using its warheads to blackmail, India, in a way, called its nuclear bluff.
The data in Sipri’s 2026 Yearbook assesses the nuclear stockpile for the previous year, which is 2025 in this case. It was in 2025 that India and Pakistan were involved in a brief military confrontation.
The report, however, does not specify when or under what circumstances India might have deployed nuclear warheads alongside launch systems.
“… World events — not least the outbreak of conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan — are challenging nuclear deterrence logic,” noted Sipri, adding that dangers associated with nuclear weapons were growing.
India, Sipri says, might have slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2025 and continued development of new types of nuclear-delivery systems.
CHINA INCREASES DEPLOYED NUCLEAR WARHEADS TO 34
The Sipri counts nine countries with nuclear warheads. The countries are the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel.
The annual report said that 2,100–2,200 of the deployed warheads were kept in a state of high operational alert on ballistic missiles.
“Nearly all of these warheads belonged to Russia or the USA, and, to a lesser extent, France and the UK, but China and India may now occasionally deploy a small number of warheads mounted on missiles during peacetime,” it said.
As of January 2026, India had deployed 12 nuclear warheads while China had 34. In the case of China, it was an increase from 24 in 2025.
While the US has deployed 1,770 warheads, Russia has 1,796. France comes third, having deployed 280 warheads. The UK has deployed 120 warheads.
WHAT SIPRI REPORT SAYS ON INDIA, PAKISTAN N-WARHEADS
“India is believed to have once again slightly expanded its nuclear arsenal in 2025,” said Sipri. The watchdog said India also “continued development of new types of nuclear delivery systems”.
India is focused on developing long-range weapons capable of reaching targets throughout China, it said, adding that Pakistan, too, was in the focus of military developments.
On its part, Pakistan was accumulating fissile material in 2025, indicating that it might expand its nuclear arsenal in the coming decade, according to Sipri analysis.
“The brief armed conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025 saw India attacking Pakistani air and missile bases that are likely to have nuclear-related roles, but both sides took steps to avoid escalation,” it noted.
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