Nuclear weapons of Pakistan
An estimated 170 warheads, delivered by air, land forces.
Overview
Pakistan's stockpile is estimated at about 170 warheads and continues to grow, supported by one of the fastest-expanding fissile-material programs. The arsenal answers India's conventional superiority: under its posture of full-spectrum deterrence, Pakistan explicitly declines a no-first-use commitment and fields short-range systems such as the Nasr alongside its strategic forces.
Delivery rests on land and air vectors: Shaheen and Ghauri ballistic missiles — the Shaheen-III, with a 2,750 km range, can reach all of India — the Babur family of cruise missiles, and F-16 and JF-17 aircraft assessed to carry a nuclear role, the latter with the Ra'ad air-launched cruise missile. A sea leg based on a submarine-launched version of the Babur is in development.
Pakistan tested at Chagai in May 1998, weeks after India's second test series, and is party to neither the NPT nor the CTBT. The May 2025 clash with India underlined how quickly a conventional exchange between the two can raise nuclear risk.
Washington sanctioned entities of Pakistan's long-range missile program in late 2024, assessing its ambitions now reach beyond India — a charge Islamabad rejects. The Ababeel MIRV program and the submarine-launched Babur-3 continue development, and the September 2025 mutual-defense pact with Saudi Arabia — widely read as extending Pakistan's deterrent umbrella — was deepened in 2026. Growth remains steady rather than spectacular, constrained mainly by fissile-material production.
Delivery systems
| Non-Proliferation Treaty | Never joined |
| Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) | Not signed |
| Prohibition Treaty (TPNW) | Not party |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many nuclear weapons does Pakistan have?
Pakistan is estimated to hold 170 nuclear warheads in its total inventory, with none of them believed permanently deployed. The figure is an estimate from the Federation of American Scientists — no current official count exists.
When did Pakistan first test a nuclear weapon?
Pakistan conducted its first nuclear test in 1998.
What delivery systems does Pakistan use?
The arsenal is delivered by air, land vectors, including Shaheen II, Ghauri, Babur, F-16 Fighting Falcon. Each system is documented in the equipment database linked on this page.
Is the arsenal of Pakistan 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.
- AUG 112026 Updated Historical warhead stockpile series updated (29 yearly values)
- MAR 162026 Updated Nuclear overview updated
- JAN 202026 Updated Nuclear overview updated