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India has been involved in nuclear competition with arch-rival Pakistan for the last two decades. During this period, India has developed a number of long-range ballistic missiles as a precautionary measure. Now, the South Asian powerhouse – which lives with two nuclear powerful neighbours – plans to change its nuclear positioning, considering the future strategic relationship with China.
Illustration
In its latest report, a US-based think-tank has stated that India is going through a crucial phase as its nuclear posture enters “an important and dynamic new phase”. Authors Hans M Kristensen and Robert S Norris stated in the report – titled ‘Indian nuclear forces, 2015’ and published by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on Wednesday – that the country might have produced around 540kg of weapon-grade plutonium in the last few years. They also said that the amount of plutonium is sufficient for 135-180 nuclear warheads, although India has around 110-120 nuclear warheads.
Kristensen and Norris explained that as India’s fighter-bombers are still considered as the backbone of its operational nuclear strike force, it has successfully developed land-based ballistic missiles mainly to counter external threats. They explained that Indian ballistic missiles, like the ‘Agni-4’, are fully capable of delivering a single nuclear warhead at a distance of over 3,500km. It means, it will not be difficult for India to strike Beijing or Shanghai from its northern region. India also conducted its first ever sea trial of a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine last year, indicating a change in its nuclear posture.
Meanwhile, the think tank has admitted that India needs to develop more ballistic missiles to counter the threat posed by a superpower, like China. It stressed: “It will need more than that to arm new missiles it is developing. In addition to the Dhruva plutonium production reactor near Mumbai, India plans to construct a second reactor near Visakhapatnam, on the east coast. An un-safeguarded prototype fast breeder reactor is also under construction 650km south at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) near Kalpakkam. It will significantly increase India’s plutonium production capacity once it becomes operational.”
Keeping in mind that its original nuclear aircraft are ageing, India has already started searching for a modern fighter-bomber that could play the air-based nuclear strike role. According to defence experts, China’s huge show of force at a military parade on Thursday – to commemorate Japan’s WWII defeat 70 years ago – could trigger an arms race in the region by prompting India to purchase new weapons. As President Xi Jinping is determined to make China the pre-eminent Asian power, India, too, will try to boost its arsenal in case it has to face any war-like situation. By displaying of home-grown missiles in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, China made a strong political statement that it could easily engage (not only) India (but also the US) on both land and sea. As India has territorial disputes with China, it is obvious that New Delhi will try to match Beijing’s new weapons capability with more purchases.
Illustration
In its latest report, a US-based think-tank has stated that India is going through a crucial phase as its nuclear posture enters “an important and dynamic new phase”. Authors Hans M Kristensen and Robert S Norris stated in the report – titled ‘Indian nuclear forces, 2015’ and published by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on Wednesday – that the country might have produced around 540kg of weapon-grade plutonium in the last few years. They also said that the amount of plutonium is sufficient for 135-180 nuclear warheads, although India has around 110-120 nuclear warheads.
Kristensen and Norris explained that as India’s fighter-bombers are still considered as the backbone of its operational nuclear strike force, it has successfully developed land-based ballistic missiles mainly to counter external threats. They explained that Indian ballistic missiles, like the ‘Agni-4’, are fully capable of delivering a single nuclear warhead at a distance of over 3,500km. It means, it will not be difficult for India to strike Beijing or Shanghai from its northern region. India also conducted its first ever sea trial of a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine last year, indicating a change in its nuclear posture.
Meanwhile, the think tank has admitted that India needs to develop more ballistic missiles to counter the threat posed by a superpower, like China. It stressed: “It will need more than that to arm new missiles it is developing. In addition to the Dhruva plutonium production reactor near Mumbai, India plans to construct a second reactor near Visakhapatnam, on the east coast. An un-safeguarded prototype fast breeder reactor is also under construction 650km south at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) near Kalpakkam. It will significantly increase India’s plutonium production capacity once it becomes operational.”
Keeping in mind that its original nuclear aircraft are ageing, India has already started searching for a modern fighter-bomber that could play the air-based nuclear strike role. According to defence experts, China’s huge show of force at a military parade on Thursday – to commemorate Japan’s WWII defeat 70 years ago – could trigger an arms race in the region by prompting India to purchase new weapons. As President Xi Jinping is determined to make China the pre-eminent Asian power, India, too, will try to boost its arsenal in case it has to face any war-like situation. By displaying of home-grown missiles in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, China made a strong political statement that it could easily engage (not only) India (but also the US) on both land and sea. As India has territorial disputes with China, it is obvious that New Delhi will try to match Beijing’s new weapons capability with more purchases.
