United Kingdom
NPT nuclear-weapon state civil nuclear programme
Estimated total
225
warheads · 2026-01
United Kingdom is estimated to hold 225 nuclear warheads, about 2% of the world total, of which roughly 225 are in its military stockpile and 120 are deployed with operational forces. All figures are open-source estimates as of 2026-01.
A single-platform deterrent: warheads are carried only on Trident missiles aboard Vanguard-class submarines, at least one of which is at sea at all times. The UK announced in 2021 that it would raise its stockpile ceiling, reversing three decades of reductions.
Estimated inventory · 2026-01
| Deployed strategic | 120 |
|---|---|
| Deployed non-strategic | none reported |
| Reserve / non-deployed | 105 |
| Military stockpile | 225 |
| Total inventory | 225 incl. retired |
| Share of world total | 1.8% |
Programme
| First test | 1952-10-03 |
|---|---|
| NPT status | NPT nuclear-weapon state |
| Publicly declared | Yes |
| Fissile material route | Highly enriched uranium and plutonium |
| Civil programme | Reactors in United Kingdom |
Nuclear-powered vessels
Naval propulsion is the largest use of highly enriched uranium outside weapons programmes.
| Programme | Type | Fuel enrichment |
|---|---|---|
| Astute class | submarine | HEU |
| Dreadnought class | submarine | HEU |
| Vanguard class | submarine | - |
Other armed states
| Country | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| Russia | 5,420 |
| United States | 5,042 |
| China | 620 |
| France | 370 |
| India | 190 |
| Pakistan | 170 |
| Israel | 90 |
| North Korea | 60 |
Sources
- Federation of American Scientists, Status of World Nuclear Forces · retrieved 2026-09-07
- SIPRI Yearbook 2026, chapter 8: World nuclear forces
How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data