New Delhi: China continues to rapidly expand its nuclear arsenal, as does Pakistan slowly, but India is confident of its strategic deterrence capabilities with the induction of a new generation. fire ballistic missiles and nuclear capable Rafale fighter aircraft.
China now has 410 nuclear weaponUp to 350 in January 2022, compared to 170 in Pakistan and 164 in India, according to the latest estimates by the WHO. Stockholm International Peace Institute (Sipri) released on Monday.
It added, “Depending on how it decides to structure its military, China could potentially have at least as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as by the end of the decade or So as America or Russia.” The latest Pentagon report on China’s military capabilities also warned that the country could build up a stockpile of nearly 1,500 warheads by 2035 if it continues to accelerate its nuclear programme.
The SIPRI report noted that as both India and Pakistan expand their nuclear arsenals, both continue to develop and innovate new types of delivery systems in the shape of missiles.
“While Pakistan remains the main focus of India’s nuclear deterrence, it appears that India is increasingly emphasizing longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets across China,” the report said.
Overall, all nine nuclear-armed states have continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals. Of course, Russia and the US account for 90% of the global inventory of an estimated 12,512 nuclear weapons. The numbers according to SIPRI are Russia (5,889), US (5,244), France (290), UK (225), Israel (90) and North Korea (30).
Certainly, nuclear deterrence cannot be reduced to simplistic calculations of the number of warheads, which are in themselves just estimates, however well informed, as countries keep them under close surveillance.
With long unresolved “active” borders with both China and Pakistan, which are expanding their nuclear arsenals, India needs to be strong and confident in keeping with its stated policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons. second-strike capabilities”.
India is taking steps to strengthen its nuclear delivery system, especially the fire chain of ballistic missiles. Just last week, the first “pre-induction night launch” of the new generation Agni-Prime, which has a strike range of 1,000 to 2,000 km, was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
The two-stage, solid propellant fueled Agni-Prime is the smallest and lightest of all Agni missiles. Importantly, it is also a canister-launched system like the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the over 5,000-km range Agni-V, which is now in the process of being inducted by the SFC.
A canister-launched missile – with the warhead already attached to the missile – gives the armed forces the operational flexibility needed to store it for long periods of time, transport it rapidly via rail or road when required, and He fires from wherever he wants.
Agni-Prime will gradually replace the Agni-I (700 km) missiles in the SFC’s arsenal, which also have Prithvi-II (350 km), Agni-II (2,000 km) and Agni-III. 3,000. -km) and Agni-IV (4,000 km) ballistic missiles.
However, the third leg of the “nuclear triad” remains a major concern. India currently has only one fully operational nuclear-powered submarine armed with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles in INS Arihant, called SSBN in naval parlance. In addition, it is armed with K-15 nuclear missiles with a range of only 750 km. In contrast, countries such as the US, Russia and China have very large fleets of SSBNs armed with missiles with ranges of over 5,000 km.
China now has 410 nuclear weaponUp to 350 in January 2022, compared to 170 in Pakistan and 164 in India, according to the latest estimates by the WHO. Stockholm International Peace Institute (Sipri) released on Monday.
It added, “Depending on how it decides to structure its military, China could potentially have at least as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as by the end of the decade or So as America or Russia.” The latest Pentagon report on China’s military capabilities also warned that the country could build up a stockpile of nearly 1,500 warheads by 2035 if it continues to accelerate its nuclear programme.
The SIPRI report noted that as both India and Pakistan expand their nuclear arsenals, both continue to develop and innovate new types of delivery systems in the shape of missiles.
“While Pakistan remains the main focus of India’s nuclear deterrence, it appears that India is increasingly emphasizing longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets across China,” the report said.
Overall, all nine nuclear-armed states have continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals. Of course, Russia and the US account for 90% of the global inventory of an estimated 12,512 nuclear weapons. The numbers according to SIPRI are Russia (5,889), US (5,244), France (290), UK (225), Israel (90) and North Korea (30).
Certainly, nuclear deterrence cannot be reduced to simplistic calculations of the number of warheads, which are in themselves just estimates, however well informed, as countries keep them under close surveillance.
With long unresolved “active” borders with both China and Pakistan, which are expanding their nuclear arsenals, India needs to be strong and confident in keeping with its stated policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons. second-strike capabilities”.
India is taking steps to strengthen its nuclear delivery system, especially the fire chain of ballistic missiles. Just last week, the first “pre-induction night launch” of the new generation Agni-Prime, which has a strike range of 1,000 to 2,000 km, was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
The two-stage, solid propellant fueled Agni-Prime is the smallest and lightest of all Agni missiles. Importantly, it is also a canister-launched system like the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the over 5,000-km range Agni-V, which is now in the process of being inducted by the SFC.
A canister-launched missile – with the warhead already attached to the missile – gives the armed forces the operational flexibility needed to store it for long periods of time, transport it rapidly via rail or road when required, and He fires from wherever he wants.
Agni-Prime will gradually replace the Agni-I (700 km) missiles in the SFC’s arsenal, which also have Prithvi-II (350 km), Agni-II (2,000 km) and Agni-III. 3,000. -km) and Agni-IV (4,000 km) ballistic missiles.
However, the third leg of the “nuclear triad” remains a major concern. India currently has only one fully operational nuclear-powered submarine armed with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles in INS Arihant, called SSBN in naval parlance. In addition, it is armed with K-15 nuclear missiles with a range of only 750 km. In contrast, countries such as the US, Russia and China have very large fleets of SSBNs armed with missiles with ranges of over 5,000 km.