India's Emerging Nuclear Posture: Between Recessed Deterrent and Ready Arsenal, Issue 1127On May 11, 1998, after a hiatus of more than two decades, India conducted a series of nuclear tests that signaled a critical shift in its strategic thinking. Once content to embrace a nuclear posture consisting largely of "maintaining the option"--I.e., neither creating a nuclear arsenal nor renouncing its right to do so--India is now on the threshold of adopting a posture that, while stopping short of creating a ready arsenal, will take as its goal the establishment of a "minimum but credible deterrent," known as a "force-in-being." This book examines the forces--political, strategic, technological, and ideational--that led to this dramatic policy shift and describes how New Delhi's force-in-being will be fashioned, particularly in light of the threat India faces from its two most salient adversaries, China and Pakistan. The book evaluates in detail the material, infrastructural, and procedural capabilities India currently possesses as well as those it is likely to acquire in its efforts to meet the needs of its evolving force-in-being. Finally, the volume concludes by assessing the strategic implications of India's posture both on the South Asian region in particular and on the global nonproliferation regime in general. |
Other editions - View all
India's Emerging Nuclear Posture: Between Recessed Deterrent and Ready Arsenal Ashley J. Tellis No preview available - 2001 |
India's Emerging Nuclear Posture: Between Recessed Deterrent and Ready Arsenal Ashley J. Tellis No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
adversaries Air Force aircraft Alternative argued armed Asian assessment assets ballistic missiles Bomb Brahma Chellaney challenges Chellaney Chengappa China Chinese civilian claims Cold War command system components context continue conventional countervalue country's CTBT currently defense Delhi delivery systems deployed deployment deterrence breakdown devices DRDO effective fact fissile materials fission force-in-being future global India's nuclear India's strategic Indian Air Indian Air Force Indian analysts Indian policymakers Indian security managers inventory Islamabad issue Karnad least levels maintaining military National Security Advisory nonproliferation nuclear arsenal nuclear attack nuclear capabilities nuclear deterrent nuclear forces nuclear option nuclear posture nuclear powers Nuclear Strategy nuclear tests nuclear threats nuclear weapons operational P. R. Chari Pakistan peacetime plutonium Pokhran political possess potential produce regime relatively remain require retaliation retaliatory simply Singh South Asia Soviet stockpile strike Subrahmanyam Sundarji survivability tactical targets technologies thermonuclear tion tional United vis-à-vis warheads weaponry weapons-grade yield