Experts warn of growing risk of nuclear crisis

Experts are expressing serious concern over the presence of over 12,000 nuclear warheads worldwide. The Russian Federation and the USA have a significant number of warheads in their respective arsenals, with approximately 5,500 and 5,300 being the current estimates, respectively. In Europe, France (290) and Great Britain (225) have their nuclear weapons, while the approximately 100 NATO warheads are distributed between Italy (40), Turkey, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Approximately 600 warheads are from China, 170 from Pakistan, 180 from India, 90 from Israel, and 45 from North Korea. According to data provided by NATO, Italy has approximately 40 tactical nuclear warheads (drop bombs) of the B61 model 3 and 4 types, which are launched by F-16 aircraft. Located in Aviano and Ghedi, they have a power of tens of kilotons. They can be activated with a single key, meaning they can only be launched from US aircraft, or with a double key, meaning they can be loaded onto Italian aircraft, Francesco Forti, national secretary of the Union of Scientists for Disarmament and professor of Physics at the University of Pisa and the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, has stated. Recently, the Italian bases have hosted the new B61-12 warheads that can only be launched from F35s, which Italy is equipping itself with in large numbers. The impact of hypersonic missiles on defence strategy is significant. Conventional missiles allowed for a delay of an hour or more between detection and impact. However, reaction times are now measured in seconds, as Antonio Missiroli, senior advisor to ISPI and professor at Johns Hopkins University in Bologna, has noted.