Express estimates that Russia has approximately 4,447 warheads, which are devices that trigger a nuclear explosion. Out of this number 1,588 are deployed. 812 are on land while 576 are on submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and 200 are at bomber bases. 977 more strategic warheads and 1,912 nonstrategic warheads are kept in reserve. Though all of these numbers are estimates, they still collectively give Russia the largest nuclear arsenal in the world based on these October 2021 estimates.
Express writer James Gray states that because the United States, France, and the United Kingdom are the most powerful NATO members, they are the most likely targets should nuclear war break out. If the U.K. was in the line of fire, the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative could be used to intercept and destroy it. This initiative dates back to 1984 at the height of Cold War nuclear preparation. Even still, NATO’s plan for nuclear war is deterrence simply due to the threat of retaliation.
