Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction
From Free net encyclopedia
It is not exactly known when Pakistan began developing nuclear weapons but it is believed to have started in the 1970s and apparently conducted its first test on 28 May,1998 when it detonated 5 separate devices in a remote mountain desert area in its Balochistan province. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the founder of Pakistan's Nuclear Program, initially as Minister for Fuel, Power and Natural Resources, and later as President and Prime Minister. Pakistan's nuclear program was launched in earnest shortly after the loss of East Pakistan in the 1971 war with India, when Bhutto initiated a program to develop nuclear weapons with a meeting of physicists and engineers at Multan in January 1972. In 1974 India successfully tested a nuclear "device". Momentum for the program was provided by this Indian nuclear test operation, called the Smiling Buddha. Bhutto reacted strongly to this test and said Pakistan must develop its own "nuclear capability". Regarding the program he said;
- We will defend our country using any means necessary and build a nuclear capability second to none. We will eat grass for 1000 years, if we have to, but we will get there.
Weapons development takes place at Kahuta and Joharabad, where weapons grade plutonium is made; the latter allegedly with the assistance of Chinese technology. Estimates usually put Pakistan's nuclear deterrent at around 40 HEU (highly enriched uranium) warheads.
Nuclear policy
Pakistan acceded to the Geneva Protocol on April 15, 1960, the Biological Weapons Convention in 1974 and the Chemical Weapons Convention on October 28, 1997.In 1999 Pakistan signed the Lahore Accords, with India, agreeing a bilateral moratorium on nuclear testing. However, Pakistan, like India and Israel is not a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and, consequently, not bound by any of its provisions.
Use of nuclear weapons
Pakistan's nuclear weapons are aimed solely at India. In case that deterrence fails, they will be used if:
- India attacks Pakistan and conquers a large part of its territory (space threshold).
- India destroys a large part either of its land or air forces (military threshold).
- India proceeds to the economic strangling of Pakistan (economic strangling).
- India pushes Pakistan into political destabilization or creates a large-scale internal subversion in Pakistan (domestic destabilization).
Pakistan Special Weapons Agencies
National Security Council
- National Command Authority
- Ministry of Defense
- Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC)
- Defense Science & Technology Organization (DESTO)
- Daud Khel Chemical Plant, Lahore
- Karachi CBW & BW Warfare R&D Laboratory
- Strategic Planning Directorate (SPD - ex CDD)
Ministry of Defence Production
- Pakistan Ordnance Factories
- Wah Munitions Plant Air Weapon Complex (AWC)
- Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC)
- Wah Munitions Plant Air Weapon Complex (AWC)
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC)
- Directorate of Technical Development
- Directorate of Technical Equipment
- Directorate of Technical Procurement
- Science and Engineering Services Directorate
- Institute of Nuclear Power, Islamabad
Pakistan Institute of Science & Technology (PINSTECH)
- New Laboratories, Rawalpindi
- Pilot Reprocessing Plant
- Parr-1 and Parr-2 Research Reactors
- Center for Nuclear Studies, Islamabad
- Computer Training Center, Islamabad
- Nuclear Track Detection Center (a.k.a. Solid State Nuclear Track Detection Center)
Khushab Reactor, Khushab, Punjab National Development Complex/Centre
- Atomic Energy Minerals Centre, Lahore
- Hard Rock Division, Peshawar
- Mineral Sands Program, Karachi
- Baghalchur Uranium Mine, Baghalchur
- Dera Ghazi Khan Uranium Mine, Dera Ghazi Khan
- Issa Khel/Kubul Kel Uranium Mines and Mills, Miniawali District
Multan Heavy Water Production Facility, Multan Division, Punjab
- Uranium Conversion Facility, Islamabad
- Golra Ultracentrifuge Plant, Golra
- Sihala Ultracentrifuge Plant, Sihala
Chasma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP), Kundian
- Chasma Fuel Fabrication Plant, Kundian
- National Engineering Service of Pakistan, Kundian
Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP), Karachi
- KANUPP Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering, Karachi
- Computer and Development Division
- Heavy Water Production Plant
- Hawkes Bay Depot, Karachi
Space and Upper Atmospheric Research Commission (SUPARCO)
- Aerospace Institute, Islamabad
- Computer Center, Karachi
- Control System Laboratories
- Flight Test Range, Sonmiani Beach
- Instrumentation Laboratories, Karachi
- Material Research Division
- Quality Control and Assurance Unit
- Rocket Bodies Manufacturing Unit
- Solid Composite Propellant Unit
- Space and Atmospheric Research Center, Karachi
- Static Test Unit, Karachi
Image:Pakistan Nuclear Test.jpg
Ministry of Industries & Production
- State Engineering Corporation (SEC)
- Heavy Mechanical Complex Ltd. (HMC) Peoples Steel Mills Ltd, Karachi.
Missiles
Recent developments
It has been recently reported by the Pakistani Press namely Jang that Pakistan has the ability to MIRV its missiles. This has been seen as possily the greatest achievement to date. It has also been reported that Pakistan would likely MIRV its Shaheen-II missile.
Aircraft delivery
2 units operating the Chinese-built A-5 (No. 16 Sqn and No. 26 Sqn), an aircraft believed to be a leading candidate for the aerial delivery of nuclear weapons. The others are the Mirage IIIOs, Mirage IIIODs and Mirage IIIEs. The Pakistani Air Force currently operates some 156 Mirage aircraft. The allocation of 90 of these aircraft is not currently known. Pakistan has also recently tested its Babur cruise missile having a range of 500km. It was a ground launched version and according to Pakistan Military sources the submarine and air delivered versions are soon to follow.
External links
- Nuclear Notebook: Laddi's nuclear program, 2005, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Jan/Feb 2002.
- Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons Program - The Beginning
- Pakistani Military Consortium
- Nuclear Files.org Pakistan's nuclear conflict with India- background and the current situation
- Nuclear Files.org Current information on nuclear stockpiles in Pakistan