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Nuclear Forces·United Kingdom

Nuclear weapons of the United Kingdom

An estimated 225 warheads, 120 of them deployed, delivered by sea forces.

Total inventory
225warheads
Military stockpile
2252026
Deployed
120
First test
1952
Delivery
Sea

Overview

The United Kingdom maintains a stockpile of about 225 warheads and is the only nuclear-weapon state to have relied on a single delivery system: four Vanguard-class submarines based at Faslane, one of which has been on patrol at all times since 1969. Their Trident II D5 missiles are drawn from a pool shared with the US Navy, and the warhead design is closely related to American counterparts under the 1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement, renewed indefinitely in 2024. Dreadnought-class replacement submarines are due from the early 2030s, alongside a sovereign replacement warhead program.

In 2021 London raised its self-imposed stockpile ceiling to 260 warheads and stopped publishing detailed figures. In June 2025 it announced the purchase of 12 nuclear-capable F-35A aircraft and its intention to join NATO's nuclear sharing arrangements — returning the Royal Air Force to a nuclear role for the first time since the WE.177 bomb was retired in 1998, with US B61-12 bombs remaining in American custody.

Britain tested first at Monte Bello in 1952, conducted its last test in 1991, and has ratified the CTBT. It is a nuclear-weapon state under the NPT and committed, like the other four, to eventual disarmament under Article VI.

The 2025 Strategic Defence Review reframed the deterrent around readiness: sustaining the continuous patrol with an aging Vanguard fleet, accelerating Dreadnought, and funding the sovereign replacement warhead program announced alongside it. The 12 F-35As and the NATO sharing role announced in June 2025 restore an air-delivered mission, with US B61-12s reported possibly back at RAF Lakenheath after years of infrastructure work. The 260 ceiling stands, and London no longer publishes deployed figures.

Delivery systems

SLBM, shared US pool

Trident 2D5

 Ballistic missile submarine

Vanguard

 Next-generation SSBN

Dreadnought

 Dual-capable aircraft, announced 2025

F-35 Lightning II
Stockpile historyest. warheads
1953 — 1 warheads 1953 1954 — 5 warheads 1955 — 10 warheads 1956 — 50 warheads 1957 — 58 warheads 1958 — 60 warheads 1959 — 78 warheads 1960 — 105 warheads 1961 — 155 warheads 1962 — 211 warheads 1963 — 256 warheads 1963 1964 — 271 warheads 1965 — 271 warheads 1966 — 281 warheads 1967 — 355 warheads 1968 — 317 warheads 1969 — 306 warheads 1970 — 375 warheads 1971 — 412 warheads 1972 — 423 warheads 1973 — 500 warheads 500 1973 1974 — 500 warheads 1975 — 500 warheads 1976 — 500 warheads 1977 — 500 warheads 1978 — 500 warheads 1979 — 500 warheads 1980 — 500 warheads 1981 — 500 warheads 1982 — 385 warheads 1983 — 380 warheads 1983 1984 — 350 warheads 1985 — 350 warheads 1986 — 350 warheads 1987 — 350 warheads 1988 — 350 warheads 1989 — 350 warheads 1990 — 350 warheads 1991 — 350 warheads 1992 — 250 warheads 1993 — 250 warheads 1993 1994 — 250 warheads 1995 — 234 warheads 1996 — 203 warheads 1997 — 203 warheads 1998 — 240 warheads 1999 — 240 warheads 2000 — 280 warheads 2001 — 280 warheads 2002 — 280 warheads 2003 — 280 warheads 2003 2004 — 280 warheads 2005 — 280 warheads 2006 — 245 warheads 2007 — 245 warheads 2008 — 245 warheads 2009 — 245 warheads 2010 — 225 warheads 2011 — 225 warheads 2012 — 225 warheads 2013 — 225 warheads 2013 2014 — 225 warheads 2015 — 225 warheads 2016 — 225 warheads 2017 — 225 warheads 2018 — 225 warheads 2019 — 225 warheads 2020 — 225 warheads 2021 — 225 warheads 2022 — 225 warheads 2023 — 225 warheads 2023 2024 — 225 warheads 2025 — 225 warheads 2026 — 225 warheads 225
Peak: 500 warheads in 1973. FAS estimates via Our World in Data (CC BY).
Among the nineTotal inventory
Treaty status
Non-Proliferation TreatyNuclear-weapon state
Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)Ratified 1998
Prohibition Treaty (TPNW)Not party
All treaties
Related
Military forces of the United Kingdom Air force inventory Navy inventory Nuclear arsenals ranking World nuclear forces Blast simulator

Frequently Asked Questions

How many nuclear weapons does the United Kingdom have?

United Kingdom is estimated to hold 225 nuclear warheads in its total inventory, with about 120 of them deployed on operational forces. The figure is an estimate from the Federation of American Scientists — no current official count exists.

When did the United Kingdom first test a nuclear weapon?

United Kingdom conducted its first nuclear test in 1952.

What delivery systems does the United Kingdom use?

The arsenal is delivered by sea vectors, including Trident 2D5, Vanguard, Dreadnought, F-35 Lightning II. Each system is documented in the equipment database linked on this page.

Is the arsenal of the United Kingdom growing?

See the stockpile history chart on this page: it tracks the estimated warhead count year by year since the first weapons were fielded, based on the FAS series published through Our World in Data.

Estimates: Federation of American Scientists, SIPRI Yearbook and other open sources. Last updated on 11 August 2026. Suggest a change
Latest Data Updates
  1. AUG 112026 Updated Historical warhead stockpile series updated (74 yearly values)
  2. MAR 162026 Updated Nuclear overview updated
  3. JAN 202026 Updated Nuclear overview updated