India Expands Nuclear Arsenal, Military Spending

The International Rice Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2026 reports that India has expanded its nuclear arsenal to approximately 190 warheads by early 2026, surpassing Pakistan's estimated 170. India's military expenditure reached $92.1 billion in 2025, making it the world's fifth-largest military spender. The report highlights India's modernization program, increasingly focused on developing long-range weapons capable of reaching targets throughout China, while also maintaining focus on its rivalry with Pakistan. Pakistan continues to develop new delivery systems and accumulate fissile material, suggesting its arsenal will expand. The report also detailed an 'unusually severe military crisis' in May 2025 between India and Pakistan, involving cross-border fire and the first-time integration of cyber operations into active military conflict by both nations. Despite the conflict, both sides took steps to avoid escalation. Globally, the nine nuclear-armed countries are increasingly relying on nuclear weapons, reversing decades of disarmament efforts, with the United States and Russia dismantling retired warheads while China, India, and Pakistan expand their capabilities. Karim Haggag, Director of SIPRI, emphasized the altered strategic environment marked by interstate wars and eroding alliance frameworks.