Russian Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present, and Future - Strategic ...

nuclear expert Alexei Arbatov confirmed that Russia
had a least 10,000 nuclear warheads in its current arsenal
when one includes its large TNW holding. 9 Other
Russian sources also confirm that the Russian Armed
Forces possess thousands of TNWs. 10 In their latest annual
survey of Russian nuclear forces, Robert S. Norris
and Hans M. Kristensen calculate that, in late 2009,
the Russian military possessed a total of approximately
12,000 nuclear warheads. Some 4,600 nuclear warheads
were in Russia’s operational arsenal (i.e., ready
for rapid use), of which approximately 2,600 were
deployed on strategic nuclear delivery vehicles and
some 2,000 were “nonstrategic” or TNWs. They conclude
that roughly 7,300 nuclear warheads were in a
reserve status or awaiting dismantlement. 11 In terms of
nonstrategic warheads (i.e., those not designed for use
on the triad of strategic delivery vehicles), Norris and
Kristensen assess that Russia has some 5,390 TNWs.
These consist of 2,000 TNWs (AS-4 air-to-surface missiles
and a variety of gravity bombs) for use by tactical
aircraft, 1,120 tactical warheads for air defense, and
2,270 nuclear warheads for use by Russian warships.
They also estimate that the Russian Army has an indeterminate
number of TNWs that might still be usable
for ground operations. 12
The Russian Navy is especially prone to view
TNW on Russian surface ships and submarines as
an important operational weapon to compensate for
the potentially superior numbers and capabilities of
Russia’s maritime adversaries, above all, that of the
U.S. Navy. For example, in 2009, Vice-Admiral Oleg
Burtsev, Deputy Chief of the Russian Navy General
Staff, claimed that the Navy was making such progress
in extending the range and accuracy of its TNWs
that: “They do not need to deliver high-yield war-
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