Nuclear security

Pakistan has 130-140 nuclear weapons, converts F16 to deliver nukes, claims US report

 Pakistan is expanding its nuclear arsenal+ and has developed an estimated stockpile of 130 to 140 warheads for delivery as well as converting some of its fighter jets, including F-16s to deliver nukes, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists said in its latest report.

Authored by Hans M Kristensen+ and Robert S Norris, the report says thatanalysis of a large number of commercial satellite images+ of Pakistan army's garrisons and air force bases shows what appear to be mobile launchers and underground facilities that might be related to nuclear forces.

"Pakistan continues to expand its nuclear arsenal with more warheads, more delivery systems, and a growing fissile materials production industry," said the report on Pakistani nuclear forces, 2016.

"We estimate that Pakistan now has a nuclear weapons stockpile of 130-140 warheads. This stockpile exceeds the projection made by the US Defense Intelligence Agency in 1999 that Pakistan by 2020 would have 60-80 warheads," said the report released last month.