Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




NUKEWARS
Nuclear weapons threat not decreasing, study says
by Staff Writers
Stockholm (AFP) June 6, 2011


More than 5,000 nuclear weapons are deployed around the world and nuclear powers continue investing in new weapon systems, making meaningful disarmament in the near future unlikely, a report published Tuesday said.

"More than 5,000 nuclear weapons are deployed and ready for use, including nearly 2,000 that are kept in a high state of alert," according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

SIPRI's report said the world's eight nuclear powers -- Britain, China, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia and the US -- possess more than 20,500 warheads.

As of January 2011, Russia had 11,000 nuclear warheads, including 2,427 deployed, while the United States had 8,500 including 2,150 deployed, the report said.

The US and Russia have signed a Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that calls for a maximum of 1,550 warheads deployed per country.

However SIPRI argued that prospects for meaningful disarmament in the short term are grim as all eight countries seem committed to either improving or maintaining their nuclear programmes.

"The five legally recognised nuclear weapons states, as defined by the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty are either deploying new nuclear weapon systems or have announced their intention to do so," the report said, referring to Britain, China, France, Russia and the US.

India and Pakistan are "expanding their capacity to produce fissile material for military purposes," according to the report.

SIPRI Director Daniel Nord said south Asia, where relations between India and Pakistan seem perpetually tense, is "the only place in the world where you have a nuclear weapons arms race."

While Israel, which has never conclusively declared itself a nuclear weapons state but is almost universally assumed to be one, "appears to be waiting to assess how the situation with Iran's nuclear programme develops," SIPRI said.

Nord argued that because "nuclear weapons states are modernising and are investing in their nuclear weapons establishments (it) seems unlikely that there will be any real nuclear weapon disarmament within the forseeable future."

The report said that North Korea "is believed to have produced enough plutonium to build a small number of nuclear warheads, but there is no public information to verify that it has operational nuclear weapons."

Nord identified Pakistan "losing control of part of its nuclear arsenal" to a terrorist group as a specific concern.

He also voiced worry over the potential consequences if "Israel or the United States decide that they will have to intervene and do something about the programme in Iran."

Iran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear programme is non-military, but several world powers have demanded closer international inspection of Iran's nuclear sites to verfiy the claim.

SIPRI is an independent institution that receives 50 percent of its funding from the Swedish state.

.


Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








NUKEWARS
US, Russia nuclear arsenal data released
Washington (AFP) June 1, 2011
The United States has 30 percent more deployed long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads than former Cold War foe Russia, according to new data released Wednesday by the State Department. Both countries are required to report key figures from their nuclear weapons arsenals as part of the landmark new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) adopted by Moscow and Washington on Februar ... read more


NUKEWARS
The Power of A Moon Rock

Looking at the volatile side of the Moon

Parts of moon interior as wet as Earth's upper mantle

NASA-Funded Scientists Make Watershed Lunar Discovery

NUKEWARS
One year in isolation

Opportunity Passes Small Crater and Big Milestone

Materials for Mars

Camera Duo on Mars Rover Mast Will Shoot Color Views

NUKEWARS
Five Steps Toward Future Exploration

China's growth, and weakness, on show at IT fair

Microscopic worms could help open up travel into deep space

Astronauts and Students Connect at UA Lunar and Planetary Lab

NUKEWARS
China's Fengyun-3B satellite goes into official operation

Venezuela, China to launch satellite next year

Top Chinese scientists honored with naming of minor planets

China sees smooth preparation for launch of unmanned module

NUKEWARS
ATV-2 adjusts ISS orbit; ext TMA Soyuz assembled

Science and Maintenance for Station Crew

ISS Crew Conducts Emergency Training and Science

Thales delivers First Cygnus PCM to Orbital

NUKEWARS
Shipments Of Sea Launch Zenit-3Sl Hardware Resume On Schedule

US Army supports student launch program

Boeing Opens Exploration Launch Systems Office in Florida

Payload processing underway for ASTRA 1N

NUKEWARS
Rage Against the Dying of the Light

Second Rocky World Makes Kepler-10 a Multi-Planet System

Kepler's Astounding Haul of Multiple-Planet Systems Just Keeps Growing

Bennett team discovers new class of extrasolar planets

NUKEWARS
British radar getting U.S. subsystems

Apple poised to introduce iCloud

Apple takes a giant leap into the cloud

Hot stuff: the making of BepiColombo




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement