Status: 10/6/2021 7:44 a.m.
For the first time in four years, the US is publishing the number of its nuclear warheads: there are still 3750. US President Biden wants to resume arms control talks with Russia.
After former US President Donald Trump declared the number a military secret in September 2017, the US government under Joe Biden has now published the number of nuclear warheads for the first time. The State Department said that as of September 30 last year, 3,750 operational and non-operational nuclear warheads were in the possession of the United States.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that is 55 warheads fewer than a year earlier and 72 fewer than in September 2017. In addition to the number mentioned, there are, however, 2,000 decommissioned nuclear warheads. They are to be dismantled.
Overall, it is the lowest number of nuclear warheads since the height of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. In 1967 the US held 31,255 nuclear warheads.
US State Department: Transparency is important
The Trump administration had reduced the disarmament agreements with Russia in the last legislative period and withdrew from the INF treaty on nuclear disarmament for medium-range missiles. In addition, negotiations on an extension of the New START treaty to reduce strategic weapons with Russia stalled – Trump unsuccessfully advocated the inclusion of China in the treaty at the time.
Shortly after taking office, US President Biden signed the New START treaty, which otherwise would have expired on February 5. In the agreement, Washington and Moscow undertake to reduce the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 each.
Disarmament talks between Russia and the USA
Biden wants to resume arms control talks with Russia. Transparency in state nuclear weapons is “important to non-proliferation and disarmament efforts,” according to the US State Department.
There were talks between Russian and US diplomats in Geneva last week. Discussions about successor agreements for New START and conventional weapons were held behind closed doors. One participant on the US side found the talks “productive”. Both countries see the talks as a positive sign.
According to a January count by the Swedish peace research institute SIPRI in Stockholm, the US has 5550, Russia 6255, China 350, France 290 and the UK 225 nuclear warheads. India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea would have around 460 nuclear warheads together. SIPRI also counts decommissioned warheads.