Pakistani Nuclear Weapons Arsenal On Track To Be World's Fifth Largest

01 February 2011

GLOBAL SECURITY NEWSWIRE (WASHINGTON) Recent U.S. intelligence estimates claim Pakistan is rapidly increasing the size of its nuclear stockpile and could become the fifth largest nuclear arms possessor. United States officials believe Pakistan has roughly 90 to 110 nuclear weapons. When President Obama assumed office in 2009, the United States believed Islamabad's nuclear forces numbered in the upper 70s. US officials believe India possesses between 60 and 100 nuclear weapons. Source: http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20110201_5282.php (Reliability: 39.52 -- Moderate)

Analysis:
Increased Pakistani nuclear development is unlikely to change Pakistan's relationship with India or the rest of the world. Pakistan already possesses enough nuclear weapons to present a credible nuclear threat to India. (Analytic Confidence: Low)