ISLAMABAD – After the signing of the nuclear deal with the US in 2005, andthe subsequent signing of an agreement of strategic partnership with the USin 2008, under the pretext of matching China’s nuclear capabilities, Indiahas made desperate efforts to expand its nuclear capabilities. According toa report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institutelink(SIPRI),India already has a stockpile of more than 100 nuclear warheads. In thiscontext, the information about the development of Challakere as India’ssecret nuclear city, is very important.
In 2012, the world surprisingly came to know that apart from the otherfacilities, India has built a ‘secret nuclear city’ at Challakere,Karnataka. This facility is believed to be the subcontinent’s largestmilitary-run complex of nuclear centrifuges, and atomic researchlaboratories. Since India has never published a detailed account of itsnuclear arsenal, the world knows little about the construction ofChallakere as a nuclear city and its strategic implications. Also, as amilitary facility, it is not open to international inspections.
The Economic Times (India), on 14 July 2018, referenced a leading AmericanForeign Policy journal, and disclosed that India is building a top-secretnuclear city to produce thermonuclear weapons (also called hydrogen bombs),which would upgrade the country as a nuclear power, unsettling its twomajor neighbours — Pakistan and China. According to the Economic Times, theForeign Policy magazine alleged that India started building this secretcity in Challakere in Karnataka, which, when completed in 2017 would be“the subcontinent’s largest military-run complex of nuclear centrifuges,atomic-research laboratories, and weapons- and aircraft-testing facilities”.
The Economic Times also stated, “But another, more controversial ambition,according to retired Indian government officials and independent experts inLondon and Washington, is to give India an extra stockpile of enricheduranium fuel that could be used in new hydrogen bombs, substantiallyincreasing the explosive force of those in it”.
It has also been stated by the Jagran Josh in an article titled ‘Is Indiamaking a Secret Nuclear City?’, dated 12 June 2018, that, “According to thenews published in a US journal; India is building a top secret nuclear cityin Challakere village in Chitradurga district of Karnataka”. The Americanjournal claims that the construction of this secret nuclear city began in2012, and was likely to be completed by the end of 2017.
The development of India’s secret Nuclear city in Challakere, to buildthermonuclear weapons, is a matter of concern for Pakistan. This discoveryindicates India’s ambitious approach towards attaining more nuclearcapability than what its nuclear doctrine projects. This development, alongwith India’s pronouncement of an offensive military doctrine, massiveacquisition of conventional weapons, expansion of strategic assets, andintroduction of Anti-Ballistic Ballistic Missile Systems is upsetting thestrategic balance in South Asia
This secret city is being called the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR). It isbeing operated by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).It is being said that nuclear scientists are secretly working there day andnight. Furthermore, the American journal published the report about theconstruction of the secret nuclear city in India after an image wascaptured by the American Space Agency ‘NASA’. The spokesperson of NASA saidthat the captured satellitelinkimageis similar to a nuclear plant.
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As discussed above, the development of India’s secret Nuclear city inChallakere, to build thermonuclear weapons, is a matter of concern forPakistan. This discovery indicates India’s ambitious approach towardsattaining more nuclear capability than what its nuclear doctrine projects.This development, along with India’s pronouncement of an offensive militarydoctrine, massive acquisition of conventional weapons, expansion ofstrategic assets, and introduction of Anti-Ballistic Ballistic MissileSystems is upsetting the strategic balance in South Asia.
Although India is acquiring the strategic capability to possessthermonuclear weapons by citing China as a threat. Moreover, the US wantsIndia to work for the so called containment of China, in fact, thepossession of hydrogen bombs will encourage India to adopt more offensivepolicies towards Pakistan, as this capability will erode the existingstrategic balance in South Asia. Hence, under this environment, India willbe encouraged to fulfil its ambition of carrying out surgical strikesagainst Pakistan to put it under pressure to stop providing moral anddiplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their ongoingstruggle for freedom.
Since any surgical strike by India will be met with a matching responsefrom Pakistan, this might escalate to a war between India and Pakistan withthe threat of the use of nuclear weapons, that will not only be dangerousfor South Asia, it will also disturb world peace. Therefore, there is adire need for the world powers to stop India from advancing its currentnuclear and missile capabilities, otherwise, the continuation of suchefforts will begin an arms race in South Asia as Pakistanlinkwillalso be compelled to acquire advanced thermonuclear weapons and relatedmissile capabilities to maintain the strategic balance to avoid an outrightwar in South Asia.
*BY:Col (R) Hanif: The writer is an ex-Army Colonel, a former ResearchFellow of Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Islamabad and SeniorResearch Fellow, Strategic Vision Institute, Islamabad*
