Pakistan to Be Fifth-Largest Nuclear Power by 2025: Report
- 9 years ago
Pakistan is on track to become the world's fifth-largest nuclear power by 2025, according to a report released by a U.S.-based independent research organization on Monday.
The report's estimate of 220 to 250 warheads based on "Pakistan's performance over the past 20 years and its current and anticipated weapons deployments" could potentially place it just behind the U.S., Russia and France, and nearly on par with China's current stockpile of 250.
The report's release coincides with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to the U.S. this week, where Reuters reports he is expected to tell President Barack Obama that limits on Pakistan's use of small tactical nuclear weapons are unacceptable.
The report's estimate of 220 to 250 warheads based on "Pakistan's performance over the past 20 years and its current and anticipated weapons deployments" could potentially place it just behind the U.S., Russia and France, and nearly on par with China's current stockpile of 250.
The report's release coincides with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to the U.S. this week, where Reuters reports he is expected to tell President Barack Obama that limits on Pakistan's use of small tactical nuclear weapons are unacceptable.