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Newsweek
11 hours ago
- General
- Newsweek
Nuclear Arms Race Warning as Warheads Increase
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The number of nuclear warheads ready for use by nine countries has slightly increased from last year, reaching over 9,600 warheads, according to an estimate by a Japanese think tank. Russia, the United States and China remain the world's three largest countries in terms of the size of their nuclear arsenals. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Department of Defense, the Chinese Defense Ministry and the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters The estimated number of nuclear warheads came from the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition at Nagasaki University. Nagasaki was the second city in the world—after Hiroshima—to come under a nuclear attack when the U.S. detonated an atomic bomb there on August 9, 1945, prompting Japan's surrender and officially ending World War II. This year marks 80 years since the first use of a nuclear weapon in human history. While there has been no use of this type of weapon of mass destruction against another country since the war, two nuclear rivals in South Asia—India and Pakistan—exchanged large-scale fire last month, while other nuclear-armed countries continue to modernize their arsenals. This photo shows the radioactive plume from the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki in Japan on August 9, 1945. This photo shows the radioactive plume from the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki in Japan on August 9, 1945. Hiromichi Matsuda/Handout from Nagasaki AtomicIn addition to the aforementioned five countries, France, the United Kingdom, Israel—which are U.S. allies—and North Korea are confirmed or believed to possess nuclear weapons. What To Know The Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition announced its estimate on Wednesday, saying the number of deployable nuclear warheads—those ready for immediate use or stored for potential deployment—had increased by 32 from last year, reaching 9,615. With regard to the three largest deployable nuclear arsenals, Russia had 4,310 warheads, a decrease of 0.8 percent from 2018, while the U.S. possessed 3,700, a decrease of 2.6 percent. In contrast, China's arsenal increased by 150 percent, reaching 600 warheads. Among all the nuclear powers, China has seen the most significant increase in its number of warheads, adding 360 to its arsenal. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the country to accelerate the buildup of nuclear forces, even as Beijing called on Russia and the U.S. to pursue nuclear disarmament. Meanwhile, North Korea—which tested nuclear weapons between 2006 and 2017—has seen the highest percentage increase in its number of warheads, rising by 233 percent. However, with 50 warheads, the Northeast Asian nation possesses the world's smallest nuclear arsenal. According to the Japanese think tank, the number of deployable nuclear warheads worldwide has been trending upward since 2018. The most recent estimate, as of this month, shows an increase of 364 nuclear warheads—designed for operational use—in just under a decade. By including non-deployable nuclear warheads—those retired or awaiting dismantlement—the total number of nuclear warheads across all nuclear-armed countries reached 12,340. An unarmed but nuclear-capable United States Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launching during an operational test at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on May 21. An unarmed but nuclear-capable United States Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launching during an operational test at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on May 21. Senior Airman Kadielle Shaw/U.S. Space Force What People Are Saying The Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition said in a news release on Wednesday: "The United States and Russia account for more than 80 percent of the total number of active nuclear warheads and needless to say bear a special responsibility for nuclear disarmament, but the remaining seven countries' share also increased from 12 percent in 2018 to 17 percent in 2025." U.S. Air Force General Anthony J. Cotton, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, testified at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on March 26: "To effectively deter adversaries across the spectrum of threats requires sustained legacy triad systems and urgently completing the multigenerational, decades-long modernization of all three legs of the nuclear deterrent and its critical [nuclear command, control and communications] systems." Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said on February 27: "On defense budget, the U.S. military spending has topped the world for many years in a row and is higher than that of the following eight countries combined, which deeply concerns the international community. I believe that the U.S. should put 'America First' into practice in this regard, and be the first to cut its nuclear arsenal and military expenditure." What Happens Next All nuclear-armed nations are expected to continue modernizing their arsenals amid conflicts around the world, such as the war in Ukraine, tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait, and the great power competition among the U.S., Russia and China.
Japan Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
KDDI aims to use direct satellite link for drones
KDDI plans to utilize its new service connecting smartphones directly with Space X's Starlink satellite communication network to operate drones, President and CEO Hiromichi Matsuda said. A direct link with satellites will make it easier to operate drones in mountainous areas and other regions where radio waves are hard to reach, Matsuda said in a recent interview. "We hope to resolve the pain points in drones," said Matsuda, who took the helm of the telecommunications company on April 1. On April 10, KDDI became the first Japanese company to launch a direct link between smartphones and the Starlink network, a service that allows messages to be sent and received wherever there is line of sight to the sky without the need to relay radio waves via ground base stations. "We hope to provide a sense of security from connectivity at any time," Matsuda said. The service is expected to enhance the stability of communications with drones, he said, adding that drone operations "will become more convenient by being connected with the sky." The service is expected to help promote the use of drones for transportation of goods in mountainous areas and for inspections of dams, bridges and other infrastructure in areas where radio waves are hard to reach. Among KDDI's domestic rivals, Rakuten Mobile also plans to provide a similar service connecting smartphones directly with satellites. NTT Docomo and SoftBank separately aim to launch a network service using high altitude platform stations, or HAPS, which send radio waves from unmanned aircraft flying in the stratosphere 20 kilometers from the ground.
24-04-2025
- Business
INTERVIEW: KDDI Aims to Use Direct Satellite Link for Drones
News from Japan Economy Technology Apr 24, 2025 13:18 (JST) Tokyo, April 24 (Jiji Press)--KDDI Corp. plans to utilize its new service connecting smartphones directly with Space X's Starlink satellite communication network for operating drones, President and CEO Hiromichi Matsuda said. A direct link with satellites will make it easier to operate drones in mountainous and other areas where radio waves are hard to reach, Matsuda said in a recent interview with Jiji Press. "We hope to resolve the pain points in drones," said Matsuda, who took the helm of the Japanese telecommunications company on April 1. On April 10, KDDI became the first Japanese company to launch a direct link between smartphones and the Starlink network, a service that allows messages to be sent and received wherever there is a sight of sky without the need to relay radio waves via ground base stations. "We hope to provide a sense of security from connectivity at any time," Matsuda said. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
