Pakistan's Kushab 2 nuclear reactor likely in operation

[IceCold]

Pardon my ignorance on the matter but shouldnt sites like these have some sort of jammers to block satellites from picking them up, and if not shouldnt we have one since Pakistan's nuclear program has always been a sore thump for few countries including the one we are having this so called strategic dialogue with.

 

[Hyde]

Lets enjoy this news from indian source
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Pakistan doubling nuclear-bomb capacity: Reports​

As the Obama Administration concluded its two-day strategic dialogue with Pakistan, a report prepared by the Washington based Institute for Science and international security says Islamabad may be operating a second nuclear reactor under the country's nuclear weapons programme.

The report cites GoogleEarth satellite images showing steam distorting the view of some cooling tower fan blades at the second plutonium production reactor at Khushab, which indicates that the reactor is in some state of initial operation such as a power start-up.

Only a few nations in the world have nuclear production capability, the start-up operation of the second Khushab reactor, leading to a possible doubling of plutonium output in Pakistan, is significant.

The report also said that Pakistan had started constructing the Khushab-II reactor back in 2002 and in 2007 construction activity for a third reactor was noticed in satellite images.

"For many years all Pakistan had was its uranium enrichment programme. Sometime in 2002, Pakistan began building a second reactor and then again sometime around 2006-07, Pakistan began building a third reactor at Khushabh. So what we are seeing here is a really massive expansion of Pakistan's plutonium production programme. And the issue here is that Pakistan does not really need a new reactor as it has a unranium enrichment programme and a plutonium production programme," said Paul Brannan, Senior Analyst, ISIS, Washington, DC.

 

[ajpirzada]

sir there is not much to go by in this news other than the picture. no one knows the exact capacity and exact purpose of this plant. all anti pak media is trying for a sixer but rit now no one is interested in seeing where the boundary line is.
feel happy about its completion which in itself is a big thing

 

[Peregrine]

Hi,
has Pakistan got Thermonuclear Bomb as well?

 

[pak-yes]

Yar Pakistan's next goal should be Tactical Nukes to be used in battlefield and Long term Goal Should be Thermonuclear Warheads.

 

[Gazzi]

According to Mr. Brannan's report, in February 2010 Zia Mian of the International Panel on Fissile Materials said that Pakistan had completed construction of the second Khushab reactor. The statement by Mian cited a recent visit to the site by the Prime Minister where he reportedly congratulated engineers for “completing important projects.”

“We have been following the construction of the second reactor in particular,” Mr. Brannan said, adding that “they had been expecting it to begin operation around this time.”

wow, what an absolute F***ing genius to have figured that one out when pakistan themselves have not hidden any of their construction, not even built any covers over the plant to hide from satellite imagery, why, because the world knows Pakistan has nukes, and they already have Plutonium warheads and are now putting this together for their cruise missiles.

He should have just read Pakistani news reports instead and would hae got all this long before, rather then wasting tax payers money on a report that everyone already knows about.

And anyway, Pakistan is not doing anything that others haven't, India already has all the tech Pakistan has now built up and other countries, should really practice what they preach, when the US gives up all its nuclear warhead then they can go above and beyond with their lectures.

 

[rangbaaz]

Hi,
has Pakistan got Thermonuclear Bomb as well?

No, just conventional fission bombs.

It would be nice if we could make some progress in nuclear energy sector for civilian use.

 

[Windjammer]

Khushab Nuclear Complex - Pakistan
Construction of a new plutonium producing reactor in the Pakistani nuclear research and production center is in pogress, despite the conflict with the Taliban that errupted about 250 kilometers northeast of this location.

The satellite images, obtained by Defense Update from the Israeli Eros B satellite, show significant progress in the construction site of the second plutonium producing reactor built at the Pakistani nuclear facility south of Khushab.

This 50 megawatt heavy water reactor is a central element of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, producing plutonium and tritium for use in the production of compact warheads for tactical nuclear weapons. The Khushab facility is not being monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The construction of the first plutonium producing reactor in Khushab was launched in the mid 1980s with Chinese assistance It was commissioned 1996 and has 'gone critical' by early 1998. To fuel the reactor, a heavy water facility was constructed nearby. The site is defended by a belt of anti-aircraft weapons, clearly seen in the aerial images below. This reactor and its adjacent heavy water facility are very similar to the Iranian nuclear facility being built at Arak, which was reviewd by Defense Update in February 2009. A second reactor has been under construction since the early 2000s, and is currently nearing completion.

Satellite Photo Analysis: Khushab Nuclear Complex - Pakistan

 

[mughaljee]

Brother ,
Is this Pakistan own Made ?

 

[Horizon303]

Khushab Nuclear Complex - Pakistan


The construction of the first plutonium producing reactor in Khushab was launched in the mid 1980s with Chinese assistance It was commissioned 1996 and has 'gone critical' by early 1998.
Satellite Photo Analysis: Khushab Nuclear Complex - Pakistan

Sir, Construction of Khusab reactor was started in 1990 not in mid 80s,

 

[ali786]

is pakistan able to construct its own nuclear power plants? on its own, without foreign assistance?

 

[Sinnerman108]

hmmm

A bit of history should be in the mix.

remember the fuel re-processing plant deal with France, which was ON- Of - ON and then died eventually.

that requirement forms the basis of this project.

These plants are not for commercial use, and thus they are not designed to produce electricity.

commercial plants have completely different designs, and use 2 stage ( if western) or single stage ( if soviet) heat exchangers to drive turbines.

Whereas , these plants are meant only to carry out a reaction X ( at a slow rate of course) so a metal P can be produced.

Plutonium in not the only metal which can be used in fission reactions,
however when Plutonium is in use following are simple to deduce.

1. War head size is being reduced for Tactical strikes OR multi-warhead missiles.

2. Fusion device is being developed, as Plutonium based fission devices are required to provide the initial kinetics.

Rest you guys can put the pieces together, all of them are there in this post.

Hope this was helpful.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Hi,
has Pakistan got Thermonuclear Bomb as well?

No confirmation...just rumors and speculations.Maybe.You never know Defense sector of Pakistan is like pandoras box...u never know wat will pop out next.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Have been to K-1, the 2 other facilities look quite bigger. Good to see some sections of Paksitan putting technological gain to good use. Started with Sihala, then k-1 and now k-2 and k-3, the plutonium reprocessing plant of Pakistan is also a mistry to the world as to where it actually is? Cannot produce 1000kg of plutonium without a reprocessing plant to convert it to weapons grade plutonium can we.....

 

[nomi007]

we must to warn the world for stopping the spying of our assets.otherwise to get the anti-satellite system for destruction of their satellite