Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction

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Pakistan began to develop nuclear weapons in January 1972 under the leadership of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was given the title Quaid-e-Awam (Leader of the People) as a result. The nuclear program was in response to the loss of East Pakistan in the 1971 war with India. Following India's nuclear test of Smiling Buddha in 1974, Bhutto responded that:

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.

Consequently, Abdul Qadeer Khan, a metallurgist working in a Dutch firm acquired URENCO blueprints for uranium centrifuges to initiate Pakistan's nuclear programme.^[1] A few weeks following India's second nuclear test, on 28 May 1998 Pakistan detonated 5 separate nuclear devices in Chagai, Balochistan. Weapons development takes place at Kahuta and Joharabad, where weapons grade plutonium is made; the latter allegedly with the assistance of Chinese technology.^[2] Estimates usually put Pakistan's nuclear stockpile at around 40 Highly Enriched Uranium warheads.

Contents 1 Nuclear policy 2 Nuclear Infrastructure 3 Nuclear Arsenal 4 Foreign Assistance 5 Pakistan's Nuclear Doctrine 6 Pakistan Special Weapons Agencies 6.1 National Security Council 6.2 Ministry of Defence Production 6.3 Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) 6.4 Pakistan Institute of Science & Technology (PINSTECH) 6.5 Khushab Reactor, Khushab, Punjab National Development Complex/Centre 6.6 Multan Heavy Water Production Facility, Multan Division, Punjab 6.7 Chasma Nuclear Power Plant I (CHASNUPP-1), Chasma 6.8 Chasma Nuclear Power Plant II (CHASNUPP-2), Chasma 6.9 Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP), Karachi 6.10 Space and Upper Atmospheric Research Commission (SUPARCO) 6.11 Ministry of Industries & Production 7 Missiles 8 Recent developments 9 Aircraft delivery 10 Notes 11 See also 12 External links

[edit] 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. Whereas the other declared and undeclared nuclear enabled states have maintained restraint by not proliferating WMDs,Some Pakistani particulars have been said to be involved in some sharings but Islamabad has strictly taken actions against such individuals.Its chief nuclear founder, A.Q. Khan admitted his role in nuclear proliferation leading to fears in the international community about nuclear terrorism. Pakistani nuclear weapons are now in safe hands and here is no need of any worries about these powers.[1]

[edit] Nuclear Infrastructure

Pakistan's nuclear program is based primarily on highly enriched uranium (HEU), which is produced at the A. Q. Khan Research Laboratory at Kahuta, a gas centrifuge uranium enrichment facility. The Kahuta facility has been in use since the early 1980s. By the early 1990s, Kahuta had an estimated 3,000 centrifuges in operation, and Pakistan continued its pursuit of expanded uranium enrichment capabilities.

In the 1990s Pakistan began to pursue plutonium production capabilities. With Chinese assistance, Pakistan built the 40 MWt (megawatt thermal) Khusab Research Reactor at Joharabad, and in April 1998, Pakistan announced that the reactor was operational. According to public statements made by US officials, this unsafeguarded heavy water reactor can produce up to 8 to 10 kilograms of plutonium per year.^[3] According to the Wikipedia's plutonium article this is sufficient for one nuclear weapon. The reactor could also produce tritium if it were loaded with lithium-6 although this is unnecessary for weapons purposes because modern nuclear weapon designs use Li⁶ directly. According to J. Cirincione of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Khusab's plutonium production capacity could allow Pakistan to develop lighter nuclear warheads that would be easier to deliver with a ballistic missile.

Plutonium separation reportedly takes place at the New Labs Reprocessing Plant next to Pakistan's Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (Pinstech) in Rawalpindi and at the larger Chasma Nuclear Power Plant, neither of which are subject to IAEA inspection.

[edit] Nuclear Arsenal

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that Pakistan has built 24-48 HEU-based nuclear warheads with HEU reserves for 30-52 additional warheads.^[4][5] The US Navy Center for Contemporary Conflict estimates that Pakistan possesses between a low of 35 and a high of 95 nuclear warheads, with a median of 60.^[6]

The NRDC's and the Carnegie Foundation's estimates of approx 50 weapons are from 2002-3 estimations.

Pakistan's nuclear warheads are based on an implosion design that uses a solid core of highly enriched uranium and requires an estimated 15-20 kg of material per warhead. The NRDC also thinks that Pakistan has also produced a small but unknown quantity of weapons grade plutonium, which is sufficient for an estimated 3-5 nuclear weapons per annum based on the estimation of 5kg of Plutonium per warhead. Pakistan also claims that the fissile cores are stored separately from the other non-nuclear explosive packages, which Islamabad says can be put together rather quickly.

[edit] Foreign Assistance

In the past, the China played a major role in the development of Pakistan's nuclear infrastructure, especially when increasingly stringent export controls in western countries made it difficult for Pakistan to acquire materials and technology elsewhere. According to a 2001 Department of Defense report, China has supplied Pakistan with nuclear materials and has provided critical assistance in the construction of Pakistan's nuclear facilities. This assistance was illegal, per the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty, of which China is a signatory.

[edit] Pakistan's Nuclear Doctrine

Pakistan's motive for pursuing a nuclear weapons program is to counter the threat posed by its principal rival, India.

Pakistan has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). According to the Defense Department report cited above, "Pakistan remains steadfast in its refusal to sign the NPT, stating that it would do so only after India joined the Treaty. Consequently, not all of Pakistan's nuclear facilities are under IAEA safeguards. Pakistani officials have stated that signature of the CTBT is in Pakistan's best interest, but that Pakistan will do so only after developing a domestic consensus on the issue, and have disavowed any connection with India's decision."

Pakistan does not abide by a no-first-use doctrine, also Pakistan has not issued an official nuclear doctrine. There has also been criticism of Pakistan's nuclear doctrine which gives rise to ambiguity and that they were too eager to use the nuclear option in the Kargil War when the Pakistan Army was facing a stern challenge due to loss of posts and personnel, however this is simply a rumour.^{[citation needed]}

The organization authorized to make decisions about Pakistan's nuclear posturing is the NCA. Here is a link showing NCA of Pakistan. [2] (NCA)it was established in February 2000. The NCA is composed of two committees that advise President Musharraf on the development and employment of nuclear weapons; it is also responsible for wartime command and control. In 2001, Pakistan further consolidated its nuclear infrastructure by placing the Khan Research Laboratories and the Pakistan Atomic Research Corporation under the control of one Nuclear Defense Complex.

[edit] Pakistan Special Weapons Agencies

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History of nuclear weapons Nuclear warfare Nuclear arms race Weapon design / testing Effects of nuclear explosions Delivery systems Nuclear espionage Proliferation / Arsenals
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[edit] 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)

[edit] Ministry of Defence Production

• Pakistan Ordnance Factories
• Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC)
• Air Weapon Complex, Wah (AWC)

[edit] 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

[edit] 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)

[edit] 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, Mianwali District

[edit] Multan Heavy Water Production Facility, Multan Division, Punjab

• Uranium Conversion Facility, Islamabad
• Golra Ultracentrifuge Plant, Golra
• Sihala Ultracentrifuge Plant, Sihala

[edit] Chasma Nuclear Power Plant I (CHASNUPP-1), Chasma

• Chasma Fuel Fabrication Plant, Kundian
• National Engineering Service of Pakistan, Kundian

[edit] Chasma Nuclear Power Plant II (CHASNUPP-2), Chasma

• Chasma Fuel Fabrication Plant, Kundian
• National Engineering Service of Pakistan, Kundian

[edit] Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP), Karachi

• KANUPP Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering, Karachi
  • Computer and Development Division
• Heavy Water Production Plant
• Paradise Point, Karachi

[edit] 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

[edit] Ministry of Industries & Production

• State Engineering Corporation (SEC)
• Heavy Mechanical Complex Ltd. (HMC) Peoples Steel Mills Ltd, Karachi.

[edit] Missiles

Designation	Other Name	Range	Payload	Status	Inventory
Hatf-I/IA		80/100 km	500 kg	Deployed	50+
Abdali-I	Hatf-II	180 km	500 kg	Deployed, Under production	Unknown
Ghaznavi-I	Hatf-III	290 km	500 kg	Under going production	~34-80?
Shaheen-I	Hatf-IV	750 km	750 kg	Deployed, Currently under production	50
Ghauri-I	Hatf-V	1500 km	700-1000 kg	Deployed, Currently in production	~50
Ghauri-II	Hatf-VA	2,400 km, More range with lighter payload.	1500 kg	Operational, Under production	200?
Shaheen-II	Hatf-VI	2,500 km, More range with lighter payload.	1000 kg+	Operational	50
Ghauri-III	Hatf-VIII	3,500 km	1000 kg+	Under Research
Babur	Hatf-VII	700 km	500 kg	Tested, Cruise Missile	50-70
Tarmuk		300 km	500 kg	Flight Tested	20-30
M-11		300 km	800-1200 kg	In service	Unknown
Shaheen-III		3,600+ km	1000+ kg	Under Research
Tippu		4,000+ km	1000+ kg	Under Reseach

The M-11 Chinese missile is in service too, which is a Short-Range Ballistic Missile with a max range of 300km it is liquid fueled and can carry a payload between 800-1200kg.

In addition there exists the Shaheen 3 which is under research and development and will be solid fueled like the others in the shaheen series; it will also have a range of 3600km+ and a payload of 1000kg+. This weapon is an Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile.

Another missile called Tippu named after the famous Muslim leader of Hindustan Tipu Sultan is also said to be under development and it will have a range of ~4000km+ and a payload around 1000kg+ though little is known about this missile.

In the 1990s there was also a rumour of a Missile called Tarmuk[3], which was said to be launched from a submarine. However because none of the Pakistan Navy's submarines have the ability to launch missile onto land, it can be said it probably was nothing more than just a rumour[4][5].

[edit] 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 possibly the greatest achievement to date. It has also been reported that Pakistan would likely MIRV its Shaheen-II missile.

[edit] Aircraft delivery

There are two 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 also has 34 F16 aircraft all block 15s as of now it recently received 2 block 15OCUs from peace gate 3/4 as a good will gesture from the US in November 2006. All of these F16s are capable of delivering nuclear warheads, they are split in to 2 squadrons both stationed at PAF Sargodha. It is rumoured that the 34 current PAF F16s have been modified for nuclear delivery by PAC Kamra. Also in the 1990s PAF F16s have practiced toss bombing which is a method to deliver nuclear weapons. Pakistan prefers to use ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to deliver nuclear warheads because they have a much longer range than aircraft and don't need the airspace to be cleared of aircraft and SAMS.

In an attempt to modernise its air force Pakistan has recently signed a deal for a purchase of 26 F16 block 15OCUs that were under peace gate 3/4 and 60 MLU [6] kits for block 15s, AMRAAMs, LGBs, and various other missiles and bombs and other items, the purchase of 18 F16 block 50/52+ [7] with an option of 18 more. if all options are exercised this deal will cost $5 billion. All of these F16s will be capable of nuclear delivery.

Also by early 2007 the first 8 JF-17 Thunder aircrafts [8] (FC-1s) will enter service these are pre-production aircraft and more JF-17 Thunder aircrafts will follow these will be capable too of nuclear delivery. Pakistan has also ordered 36 Chinese J-10s [9] for its airforce for cost of $1.4 billion. The Pakistan Air Force is in the midst of a great change in terms of capability. Pakistan has also recently tested its Babur cruise missile having a range of 500km. It seems to be influenced by the Tomahawk cruise missile [10] of the US in terms of appearance, however it is an indigenous weapon. It is a ground launched version and according to Pakistan Military sources the submarine and air delivered versions are soon to follow.

Naval Delivery: PNS Hamza has just been commisoned this year in August, This submarine is a Augosta 90B submarine [11] and with a number of modifications will be able to fire ballistic missiles these modifications may be soon, it can also fire Babur Cruise Missiles and thats if the submarine uses larger tubes to fire this missile. Soon other ships and sumarines maybe retrofitted to fire ballistic and cruise missiles.

[edit] Notes