A nuclear arms race in the offing? How many warheads does US, China and Russia have?

“I hated to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years. Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”

With this post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump has reversed years-long policy on testing nuclear weapons . In fact, the last time the United States of America conducted a nuclear weapons test was 33 years ago, in 1992 , before President George HW Bush implemented a moratorium on such exercises at the conclusion of the Cold War.

Trump’s latest move shines a spotlight on the nuclear capabilities of the three superpowers — the US, Russia and China. Just how many nuclear weapons do each of these countries have?

The nuclear age begins

The nuclear era began in July 1945 by the United States when it tested a 20-kilotonne atomic bomb in New Mexico. A month later, amid World War II, the US dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

Four years later, in August, the Soviet Union shocked the West when it carried out its first nuclear bomb test, codenamed First Lightning. In the subsequent years, different countries carried out nuclear bomb testing — Britain carried out 45 tests, France undertook 210 and even China carried out 45 tests.

However, in 1996, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty was agreed upon that banned all nuclear weapons test explosions and all other nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposes. Since the CTBT, 10 nuclear tests have taken place. India conducted two in 1998, Pakistan also two in 1998, and North Korea conducted tests in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016 (twice) and 2017, according to the United Nations.

As recently as Wednesday (October 29), Russia successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone — Poseidon. This came after Vladimir Putin oversaw a test of another advanced nuclear-capable weapon — the Burevestnik cruise missile, which he said had an “unlimited range”.

Counting US, Russia and China’s nuclear warheads

Trump’s new diktat has now got many asking — just how many nuclear warheads do each of these countries possess? And the number will shock you.

As per the Arms Control Association, the world’s nuclear-armed states — there are nine countries that possess this power — hold a combined total of 12,400 nuclear warheads, as per a January 2025 review. Of these, nearly 90 per cent belong to the US and Russia.

Data shows that Russia is in the lead when it comes to the nuclear race — Moscow has 5,580 nuclear warheads. Of these, 1,200 are retired, which means they are no longer in the stockpile but remain intact as they await dismantlement. In their current stockpile, there’s 4,380 warheads of which 1,549 are strategically deployed.

The US is close second; it has a total of 5,225 warheads of which 1,477 are retired and 3,748 are in the stockpile.

China is a distant third with 600 nuclear warheads — all of them are in their current stockpile.

As per the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has nearly 4,309 warheads and additional 1,150 warheads which are retired. Meanwhile, the US possesses 3,700 warheads while another 1,477 have been retired. China, on the other hand, has 600 warheads and counting.

Russia’s nuclear strike options

Russia, which was a signatory to the CTBT until 2023 when it put into force the law to revoke its ratification, has in the past week stepped up its nuclear testing.

On October 21, Moscow tested the Burevestnik cruise missile and as recently as Wednesday successfully tested the Poseidon , a nuclear-powered underwater drone designed to carry a nuclear warhead capable of triggering radioactive tsunamis along enemy coastlines.

While the exact location of the test was not disclosed, the announcement marked the first confirmation that Poseidon’s nuclear propulsion system had been successfully activated during a full trial.

But these aren’t the only nuclear-strike options that Russia has. The Putin-led country has also developed the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Avangard HGV, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, as well as the Skyfall nuclear-powered cruise missiles.

China’s nuclear weapons arsenal

China, which is an ally of Russia, has also embarked on a rapid and sustained increase in the size and capability of its nuclear forces. As per a Pentagon forecast, China is expected to exceed 1,000 warheads by 2030.

The Federation of American Scientists note that China see their land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as their most reliable and survivable nuclear force. And this was most evident at this year’s China’s Victory Day Parade which featured many new and modified nuclear systems.

This year, the DF-16 ICBM was displayed, which is believed to possess nuclear capabilities. Moreover, China has also developed the DF-5C, which is intended to carry a multi-megaton warhead.

Besides its land missiles, China also has the JL-3 (Julang-3) sea-launched ballistic missile, as well as a nuclear weapons system for delivery by aircraft. This is the JL-1, or JingLei-1, translating to “sudden thunder”.

America’s nuclear triad

The US has a nuclear triad, meaning it has land-based missiles, submarines, bombers with nuclear capabilities. According to one report, America’s nuclear missiles and strategic nuclear bombers are distributed across at least eight states — precise locations are classified.

From the land, the US has the LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. These missiles have a range of over 6,000 miles and travel at 15,000 mph. America’s ICBM force has remained on continuous, around-the-clock alert since 1959.

The US also has Ohio-Class ballistic missile submarines. They are designed specifically for stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads. Each of the 14 Ohio-class SSBNs can carry up to 20 submarine-launched ballistic missiles with multiple, independently targeted warheads. Experts note that their stealth design makes finding them an almost impossible task, giving pause to potential adversaries.

In the skies, the US has the B-52 bomber , which is a long-range, heavy bomber capable of performing a variety of missions. It can carry nuclear or precision-guided conventional weapons with worldwide precision navigation.

Washington also possesses the B-2 Spirit, which is a multirole stealth bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear weapons.

It seems that Trump with his new announcement is pushing the US towards a Cold War era. And experts warn that would almost inevitably be followed by tit-for-tat reciprocal announcements by other nuclear-armed states, particularly Russia and China, and cement an accelerating arms race that puts us all in great jeopardy.

It would also create profound risks of radioactive fallout globally. Even if such nuclear tests are conducted underground, this poses a risk in terms of the possible release and venting of radioactive materials, as well as the potential leakage into groundwater.

As The Atlantic wrote, “Resuming nuclear testing looks weak and petulant, not strong and confident. No American president should ever let the Kremlin get under his skin — especially not where nuclear weapons are concerned.”

With inputs from agencies