Post by Wes Gear on Jun 8, 2011 16:17:24 GMT 10
Nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan accelerates
THE nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan has accelerated sharply in the past year, with both countries increasing their weapons stockpile, a new report warns.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates both countries have increased their nuclear arsenals by up to a third, and that the tense neighbours were "expanding their capacity to produce fissile material for military purposes", the report issued by the institute yesterday reveals.
SIPRI director Daniel Nord said south Asia was the only region of the world "where you still have a nuclear weapons arms race".
He identified Pakistan losing control of part of its nuclear arsenal to a terrorist group as a particular concern.
The institute estimates India's nuclear warheads armoury has increased from between 60 to 80 last year up to 110 now, while Pakistan may have lifted its stockpile from between 70-90 warheads to as many 110.
While both countries keep their nuclear inventories secret, the institute said its numbers were based on calculations of their stocks of weapons-grade plutonium, as well as the number of operational nuclear-capable delivery systems.
"India and Pakistan continue to develop new ballistic and cruise missile systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons," it says in its 2011 year book, released yesterday.
"Currently, neither country is believed to keep its nuclear weapons mounted on missiles and ready for launch. However, recurring crises and the growing familiarity of the military in both countries with nuclear weapons is likely to generate pressures for deployment of nuclear weapons with a launch-on-warning posture - with the attendant grave risk of accidental nuclear war."
Read more: www.news.com.au/world/south-asia-nuclear-weapons-race-hots-up/story-e6frfkyr-1226071462703#ixzz1Of7mjfqA
So they have up to 110 nukes each. How many do you need? Each one carries a risk to the planet. Nuclear accidents do happen.
THE nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan has accelerated sharply in the past year, with both countries increasing their weapons stockpile, a new report warns.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates both countries have increased their nuclear arsenals by up to a third, and that the tense neighbours were "expanding their capacity to produce fissile material for military purposes", the report issued by the institute yesterday reveals.
SIPRI director Daniel Nord said south Asia was the only region of the world "where you still have a nuclear weapons arms race".
He identified Pakistan losing control of part of its nuclear arsenal to a terrorist group as a particular concern.
The institute estimates India's nuclear warheads armoury has increased from between 60 to 80 last year up to 110 now, while Pakistan may have lifted its stockpile from between 70-90 warheads to as many 110.
While both countries keep their nuclear inventories secret, the institute said its numbers were based on calculations of their stocks of weapons-grade plutonium, as well as the number of operational nuclear-capable delivery systems.
"India and Pakistan continue to develop new ballistic and cruise missile systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons," it says in its 2011 year book, released yesterday.
"Currently, neither country is believed to keep its nuclear weapons mounted on missiles and ready for launch. However, recurring crises and the growing familiarity of the military in both countries with nuclear weapons is likely to generate pressures for deployment of nuclear weapons with a launch-on-warning posture - with the attendant grave risk of accidental nuclear war."
Read more: www.news.com.au/world/south-asia-nuclear-weapons-race-hots-up/story-e6frfkyr-1226071462703#ixzz1Of7mjfqA
So they have up to 110 nukes each. How many do you need? Each one carries a risk to the planet. Nuclear accidents do happen.