Pakistan’s Fourth Nuclear Reactor Has India Worried

[Awesome]

NEW DELHI: Pakistan is focusing on building low-yield, tactical nuclear weapons which it can use in case of skirmishes at the border with India. After disclosures that Pakistan is building its fourth reactor at the Khushab military facility, fresh estimates made by security and intelligence officials here suggest that Pakistan now has the capability to add 8-10 such weapons in its kitty every year.

The figure is likely to go up considerably once the new reactor becomes operational in less than two years. Latest satellite images revealed recently that Pakistan has expedited work on the fourth reactor, a plutonium producing facility.

The news is a surprise, if not shock, to the government here. Its belief, based on assessment by top scientists, was that Pakistan was unlikely to undertake this sort of expansion as it did not have enough uranium.

Pakistan is internationally acknowledged to have a nuclear arsenal of 100 weapons but the recent focus on low-yield, also known as tactical, weapons has become a source of worry for India.

Former chief of joint intelligence committee S D Pradhan, who has closely followed Pakistan's nuclear-weapon program, says Pakistan's desire for such weapons is one of the main reasons for the acceleration of its nuclear program.

"They are following the Chinese model of having low-yield nuclear weapons. Pakistan believes these weapons will provide it a flexible response in case of an escalation with India and allow it to dominate," says Pradhan.

Officials and experts believe Pakistan will use it only in the case of any incursion made by Indian forces into Pakistani territory or what is known as India's cold start doctrine. In the event of another Mumbai-like terrorist attack, there is going to be real pressure on India to mount such an incursion and strike some of the terror camps.

Indian officials said the manner in which Pakistan has carried out work on the fourth reactor, of which there was no trace as late as 2009, suggest a constant supply or uranium and that this could only have been made possible by China. "The cost involved is too high and then, of course, the amount of uranium required. It's too much for Pakistan to achieve without support from China," said a senior government official.

Pakistan's fourth nuclear reactor has India worried - The Times of India

What correlation is there between Pakistan working on its nuclear reactors and production of tactical nukes?

Just listen to the bakwas from Indian writers on how they connect A to Z. I mean they said "Pakistan IS building". Which phopar told them that? TOI is Yellow journalism galore.

 

[amardeep mishra]

What correlation is there between Pakistan working on its nuclear reactors and production of tactical nukes?

Just listen to the bakwas from Indian writers on how they connect A to Z. I mean they said "Pakistan IS building". Which phopar told them that? TOI is Yellow journalism galore.

sir,you need to understand that,journalist aint a authority about reactors,they do publish crap at times...
though,what significance does this reactor has to a common paksitani?will it solve the enrergy needs?I AM AFRAID,it hasnt been designed to commercially produce nuclear electricty
instead of producing more and more nuclear bombs,pakistan should rather focuss on r&d of reactor engineering,instrumentation and control of nuclear power plants,it will surely reduce their dependency over chinese

 

[I M Sikander]

@ranasikander,we are here for discussions,right,now i expect you to provide me strong technical arguments against the FBR technology...
on a lighter NOTE, FBR is NOT the RBMK-1000,lol,it doesnt have unstabilities like the RBMK-1000 class,

I am ready for FBR "for against debate" but this thread is a regarding " Pakistan’s Fourth Nuclear Reactor Has India Worried". so Please make a thread in different section and lets do our debate and discussion there.
We will have discussion there with reference to your post no. 59.

 

[amardeep mishra]

I am ready for FBR "for against debate" but this thread is a regarding " Pakistan’s Fourth Nuclear Reactor Has India Worried". so Please make a thread in different section and lets do our debate and discussion there.
We will have discussion there with reference to your post no. 59.

Come on sir, what are you waiting for, do bombard me with technical details, I'm all here to listen to you......
After all we are engineers...

 

[The SC]

One major obstacle in Indian export of Nuclear reactors is the financing aspect of the deal !
Can India match Russia or China on that aspect, this is the question.
Second important fact is the long term reliability of the nuclear reactors.

 

[amardeep mishra]

One major obstacle in Indian export of Nuclear reactors is the financing aspect of the deal !
Can India match Russia or China on that aspect, this is the question.
Second important fact is the long term reliability of the nuclear reactors.

sir, in terms of safety features, we are better than even russians, this has been highlighted by recent report published by NPCIL(infact there are really very few countries who are actively doing research in small and medium powered reactors (220-700 MWe), so india is infact bringing in latest tech in small and med class reactors), and as far as export is concerned, india can very well export 700 MWe PHWR, but main problem lies in export of UR-zr alloy pellets or fuel assemblies...
But, this won'T be a problem in case of exporting FBRs

 

[nomi007]

i m sure that our nuclear sites are most secure in the world
still we don't see any internal picture of kahuta nuclear plant that was built in 1977
but why govt is not producing electricity from nuclear source that's is questionable
energy crisis is worst day by day

 

[The SC]

sir, in terms of safety features, we are better than even russians, this has been highlighted by recent report published by NPCIL(infact there are really very few countries who are actively doing research in small and medium powered reactors (220-700 MWe), so india is infact bringing in latest tech in small and med class reactors), and as far as export is concerned, india can very well export 700 MWe PHWR, but main problem lies in export of UR-zr alloy pellets or fuel assemblies...
But, this won'T be a problem in case of exporting FBRs

What you are stating is true, but FBRs are still a risky business for many people and they have to get over it first !

 

[amardeep mishra]

exactly

why a nuclear reactor must only be suspected of making nuclear bombs?
energy shortage is a big issue and things should've been in motion long time ago due to current chronic power shortage.

if its protected under IAEA safeguards and regularly inspected then no cause for alarm.

But the main problem is, pakistan lacks in technical know how to construct commercial PWRs for production of electricity...and china remains their "only" source of reactorsi, unless pak spends heavily in nuclear reactor engineering, they are never gonna stand up on their feet and become self relaint in this field...
peace,

 

[The SC]

Why not, if Iran did it The 350KW, Pakistan is certainly able to do it too.

 

[The SC]

exactly

why a nuclear reactor must only be suspected of making nuclear bombs?
energy shortage is a big issue and things should've been in motion long time ago due to current chronic power shortage.

if its protected under IAEA safeguards and regularly inspected then no cause for alarm.

As I said in another thread, the western media is very dangerous to the Public health and mostly public mental health, since as for one example: the nuclear issue and Islam a word association in the public Non Muslim minds synonymous with atomic bombs, it is automatic, and obviously deplorable.
There are so many other instances that we'll need media and intellectual Jihad to combat this type of psychological warfare targeting even the word Islam in the minds of world public opinion.

 

[amardeep mishra]

Why not, if Iran did it The 350KW, Pakistan is certainly able to do it too.

Sir, what pak has done till now, are plutonium based experimental reactors (not the commercial PWR),
A huge commercial PWR is totally different from an experimental reactor, you need to understand it first sir,
Don't you think, how much pak can gain from indian nuclear reactor programme if relations are normalised and things get usual...there is really huge scope of cooperation between our countries

 

[King Solomon]

At present, Pakistan is dangerously increasing its nuclear cache. Mobile launcher production has already doubled since 2009. India has every reason to be worried.

 

[The SC]

Sir, what pak has done till now, are plutonium based experimental reactors (not the commercial PWR),
A huge commercial PWR is totally different from an experimental reactor, you need to understand it first sir,
Don't you think, how much pak can gain from indian nuclear reactor programme if relations are normalised and things get usual...there is really huge scope of cooperation between our countries

That is the least to say!
Sometimes politics have their reasons that reason can not understand.

 

[Nelson]

At present, Pakistan is dangerously increasing its nuclear cache. Mobile launcher production has already doubled since 2009. India has every reason to be worried.

I'm already in my bunker dude!