US lifts veil on nuclear arsenal size and expenditures

The US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently made significant disclosures regarding its nuclear weapons arsenal, revealing detailed statistics and expenditures.

As of September 2023, the United States possessed a total of 3,748 nuclear warheads, Caliber.Az reports citing the NNSA's statistics.

This figure represents a substantial reduction from historical highs: in 1967, the US maintained 31,255 warheads, which decreased to 22,217 by 1989.

Over the period spanning from 1994 to 2023, the US dismantled a staggering 12,088 nuclear warheads, reflecting ongoing efforts to reduce and manage its nuclear stockpile. Furthermore, since September 30, 2020, an additional 405 warheads have been dismantled, underscoring ongoing disarmament initiatives.

In terms of financial expenditure, the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) reported that in 2023 alone, the United States allocated $51.5 billion towards nuclear weapons. This expenditure positioned the US as the largest spender among the nine nations recognized for possessing nuclear arsenals, accounting for 80% of the total global expenditure on nuclear weapons, which amounted to $91.4 billion in the same year.