Nov. 19 – U.S. experts claim in a recent Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists report that Pakistan has more nuclear weapons than India and that both countries are engaging in a nuclear arms race, increasing their arsenals and deploying more weapons at more sites.
Pakistan is estimated to possess 70 to 90 nuclear weapons, while India is believed to have 60 to 80 Robert S. Norris and Hans M. Kristensen stated in their latest article, “Nuclear Notebook: Worldwide deployments of nuclear weapons, 2009.” The article also stated that Beijing, Islamabad and New Delhi are “quantitatively and qualitatively increasing” their arsenals.
Precise locations are difficult to pinpoint it said, giving as an example that no reliable public information exists on where Pakistan or India produces its nuclear weapons. “Whereas many of the Chinese bases are known, this is not the case in Pakistan and India, where we have found no credible information that identifies permanent nuclear weapons storage locations,” they said.
“Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are not believed to be fully operational under normal circumstances, India is thought to store its nuclear warheads and bombs in central storage locations rather than on bases with operational forces. But, since all three countries are expanding their arsenals, new bases are bound to be deployed.”
The article will increase saber-rattling in India and possibly China as the countries debate perceived threats from each other and their respective militaries search for more justification for additional expenditure.
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is well known for their “Doomsday Clock,” which displays midnight as nuclear Armageddon. In the opinion of contributing scientists, the Doomsday Clock conveys how close humanity is to catastrophic destruction – the figurative midnight – and monitors the means humankind could use to obliterate itself, first and foremost being nuclear weapons, but also encompassing climate-changing technologies and new developments in the life sciences that could inflict irrevocable harm.
The closest the clock came to midnight was in 1953 (2 minutes) and 1984 (3 minutes). The clock has been steadily progressing towards midnight since 1991 and the end of the cold war, when it stood at 17 minutes to midnight. The current status is five minutes to midnight.
