INDIA’S NUCLEAR DOCTRINE: REVIEWING NFU AND MASSIVE RETALIATION – ANALYSIS

[TheFlyingPretzel]

Could you please provide the link? Not able to locate it.

Draft Report of National Security Advisory Board on Indian Nuclear Doctrine

 

[surya kiran]

Draft Report of National Security Advisory Board on Indian Nuclear Doctrine

But where does it say amended in 2014? This is the 1999 draft copy, right?

 

[Soumitra]

I think if we have credible intelligence (through on ground sources or satelite feed) that Pakistan is fueling its missiles for an imminent launch we may also launch our weapons. but may be before we press the red button there will be a phone call between New Delhi and Rawalpindi to back off. If they dont the red button will be pressed.

But before it comes to that Washington will call Rawalpindi not to do any misadventure and New Delhi to exercise restraint.

 

[ito]

I think if we have credible intelligence (through on ground sources or satelite feed) that Pakistan is fueling its missiles for an imminent launch we may also launch our weapons. but may be before we press the red button there will be a phone call between New Delhi and Rawalpindi to back off. If they dont the red button will be pressed.

But before it comes to that Washington will call Rawalpindi not to do any misadventure and New Delhi to exercise restraint.

When it comes to using nukes, no call from anybody will be heeded. Any nuke attack will be retaliated no matter what

I don't see any war happening between India and China. That leaves Pakistan. Everyone knows that given the inferior conventional capacities of Pakistan, the nuke threshold of Pakistan is considerable lower than India's. So most of the Indian nuclear doctrine should concentrate on how to stop Pakistan from using it first.

 

[TheFlyingPretzel]

But where does it say amended in 2014? This is the 1999 draft copy, right?

Precisely. To my understanding of the matter, there have been no amendments made to the ND and it stands in force today as it did in 1999, despite all the academic suggestions and commentary by the MOD against the use of the NFU policy, to date.

 

[surya kiran]

Precisely. To my understanding of the matter, there have been no amendments made to the ND and it stands in force today as it did in 1999, despite all the academic suggestions and commentary by the MOD against the use of the NFU policy, to date.

Again, like I said, the document was released in 1999. My argument is based plainly on the fact, that, post that no discussion on the topic has ever taken place in a public forum. Also, the document you refer to is not the official document. It is a draft of the policy. Not the policy. As per my knowledge, there is no copy of the official Indian Nuclear Policy, except media and research take-offs on the draft policy. But, officials had spoken about NFU, hence, it was taken as a given.

But, the official who is most concerned with it is the NSA. And he in a speech in an official capacity made the statement of No First Use on Non-Nuclear State. Post this there was a debate on whether he was mistaken, but, there was no correction issued either by him or the GoI. On the other hand, his comment was recorded verbatim on the GoI sitein 2010 and no less than the MEA site.

Hence, if you were to see chronologically, his comments over-ride a document which itself is just a draft. Post that comment , there has been no discussion from anybody in an official capacity to correct his statement.