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Chinese nuclear forces

National nuclear arsenalActivePending verification
Nuclear ForcesCHN
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Fact cardConfidence · Source
System
TypeNational nuclear arsenal
ProliferationOrigin country only
Warhead inventory
Total inventory620 warheadsMilitary stockpile plus retired warheads awaiting dismantlementMed[1]
Military stockpile620 warheadsMed[1]
Deployed strategic34 warheadsMed[1]
Reserve / nondeployed586 warheadsMed[1]
Notes
The stockpile is growing. A small number of warheads are thought to be deployed; most are held in central storage. The U.S. Department of Defense projected about 1,000 operational warheads by 2030.
Summary

Estimated warhead inventory of 620 as of early 2026, per the Federation of American Scientists.

Draft entry. Values come from the cited public sources and are awaiting editor verification.
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Operators
Sources
  1. Status of World Nuclear Forces 2026, Federation of American Scientists
    Published/updated 2026-06-09 · Tier 2 · checked 2026-10-05
Change log
  • 2026-10-05 Entry created from the FAS Status of World Nuclear Forces 2026