India Targeted Pakistani Air and Missile Bases Linked to Nuclear Weapons Infrastructure, SIPRI Report Reveals

A year after Operation Sindoor, global discussions surrounding India's military capabilities show no signs of slowing down. The newest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a premier global think tank tracking nuclear weaponry, has once again underscored India's military might while pointing out strategic vulnerabilities within Pakistan.

SIPRI's latest assessment reveals that multiple Pakistani airbases and missile facilities targeted by India during Operation Sindoor were connected, in some capacity, to Pakistan's nuclear weapons infrastructure. The report estimates that India currently holds 190 nuclear warheads, compared to Pakistan’s 170. Crucially, SIPRI observed that despite the direct military confrontation during Operation Sindoor, neither nation escalated the conflict into a nuclear crisis.

This aligns with statements made shortly after the conflict by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who asserted that the Indian armed forces had effectively dismantled Pakistan's "nuclear bluff" and its history of nuclear blackmail. During the active days of Operation Sindoor (May 7–10, 2025), footage surfaced showing bombings in Pakistan's Kirana Hills region, an area widely believed to house a Pakistani nuclear facility. Reports also indicate that the Indian Air Force targeted Pakistan's nuclear command and control center situated at the Noor Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi during the operation.

India Deploys 12 Nuclear Warheads For First Time

In a notable shift in its peacetime nuclear posture, India has deployed nuclear warheads for the first time, according to SIPRI's latest findings. The SIPRI Yearbook 2026, released on Monday, details that India's nuclear warhead count has grown to 190, up from 180 just a year ago. Of this total, 12 warheads are now classified as operationally deployed. This is the first time the international arms research institute has categorized any portion of India's nuclear arsenal as deployed rather than fully stockpiled.

This change represents a major departure from India's traditional practice of keeping its nuclear warheads separate from delivery systems, such as ballistic missiles, during times of peace.

Evaluating this shift, SIPRI stated:

"It has long been assumed that India stores its nuclear warheads separate from its deployed launchers during peacetime. However, the country's recent moves towards placing missiles in canisters and conducting sea-based deterrence patrols suggest that India could be shifting in the direction of mating some of its warheads with their launchers in peacetime."

While past SIPRI assessments never listed Indian nuclear warheads as deployed, the 2026 data indicates a clear evolution in India's operational readiness. Even with this new posture, India maintains a larger overall arsenal than Pakistan, whose stockpile stands at an estimated 170 warheads.

Operation Sindoor: India’s New Doctrine

Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of May 7 last year as a direct retaliation for the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The Indian armed forces executed precision strikes aimed at several terror launchpads and supporting infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan responded with its own offensive maneuvers against India, sparking nearly four days of intense military confrontation. India's defensive and counter-offensive actions during this window were all conducted under the umbrella of Operation Sindoor.

Ceasefire Reached After 88-Hour Conflict

The intense military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors lasted for nearly 88 hours before both nations arrived at a ceasefire agreement on the evening of May 10. According to the Indian Army, the breakthrough occurred after Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations reached out to his Indian counterpart to request a ceasefire.
 

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