Assessment of the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Status in 2023

Key Chapter Title List

1. Current Status of Nuclear Weapons Stockpile and Deployment
2. Decommissioned Nuclear Warhead Dismantlement Progress and Challenges
3. Implementation Status of the New START Treaty
4. Nuclear Posture Review and Nuclear Modernization Plans
5. Nuclear Planning and Exercise Mechanisms
6. Land-Based Ballistic Missile Forces
7. Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarine Forces
8. Strategic Bomber Forces
9. Status of Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons
10. NATO Nuclear Sharing Arrangements and European Nuclear Posture

Document Introduction

Against the backdrop of profound shifts in the global nuclear landscape and intensifying strategic competition among major powers, the United States is advancing a large-scale modernization program covering all nuclear delivery systems. The scale, structure, and deployment adjustments of its nuclear forces have far-reaching implications for international strategic stability. This report, as a core output of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' Nuclear Notebook series, was researched and authored over several years by the Nuclear Information Project team of the Federation of American Scientists. It provides an authoritative panoramic assessment of the U.S. nuclear weapons system in 2024.

Core data from the report shows that in 2024, the total U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile is approximately 5,044 warheads. This includes an active stockpile of 3,708 warheads (comprising 1,770 in deployed status and 1,938 in reserve status), with an additional 1,336 retired warheads awaiting dismantlement. Among the deployed warheads, 400 are fitted on land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, 970 are deployed on submarine-launched ballistic missiles, 300 are stored at bomber bases within the United States, and 100 tactical nuclear weapons are deployed at bases in Europe, forming the foundational architecture of the nuclear triad.

The report systematically analyzes the current status and modernization progress of various components of U.S. nuclear forces. Regarding land-based forces, the 400 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles are being gradually replaced by the Sentinel (LGM-35A) system, although this project faces cost overruns and schedule delays. For sea-based forces, 14 Ohio-class submarines are equipped with Trident II D5LE submarine-launched ballistic missiles, while development of the next-generation Columbia-class nuclear submarines continues to advance. In the air domain, B-52H and B-2A bombers undertake nuclear strike missions. The B-21 Raider stealth bomber has completed its first test flight and is poised to enter the deployment phase.

In the areas of nuclear policy and arms control, the report elaborates in detail on the core content of the Biden administration's 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, including adjustments such as canceling the nuclear sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) program and advancing the retirement of the B83-1 nuclear warhead. It also points out the impact of U.S. vacillation on nuclear transparency policies on international nuclear arms control mechanisms. The report further analyzes U.S. and NATO nuclear sharing arrangements, as well as deployment plans for new tactical nuclear warheads like the B61-12 in Europe and their implications for regional security dynamics.

Based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and open-source intelligence such as satellite imagery, the report comprehensively presents the cost estimates for U.S. nuclear force modernization (projected to cost between 1.2 trillion and 1.7 trillion U.S. dollars over the next three decades), along with associated technological challenges and policy controversies. It provides a crucial reference for understanding the evolution of global nuclear balance and the logic of strategic competition among major powers, holding significant academic and practical value for defense researchers, policymakers, and geopolitical analysts.