India and Pakistan are on the brink of full-scale conflict after a terrorist attack against the Indian part of Kashmir resulted in Indian air strikes into Pakistan. In the hours since the strikes, Islamabad claims to have shot down five Indian fighter jets, while India continues to maintain a hard stance against its neighbor.  

The animosity between India and Pakistan is hardly new. The two countries have fought three full-blown wars, and dozens of smaller skirmishes, since they became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947. However, they have both avoided full-scale war since 1998—after both nations secured nuclear weapons.

India Has a Modern Nuclear Arsenal—and a Full Nuclear Triad

According to the independent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India maintains approximately 172 nuclear munitions.  

India was the first of the two to establish a nuclear arsenal. In 1974, the Indian military conducted its first successful nuclear test. Since then, New Delhi has been slowly building its nuclear arsenal with more modern and destructive munitions. Importantly, the Indian military maintains a full nuclear triad, with land-based, sea-based, and air-launched nuclear........

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