Sharpening the Arsenal: India's Evolving Nuclear Deterrence Policy

Speaking in Delhi in November 2016, Manohar Parrikar, India's then Defence Minister, said there should be an element of unpredictability in the country's military strategy. He wondered whether India's nuclear doctrine should be constrained by a 'no-first-use' posture. The essence of the defence minister's introspection was that ambiguity enhances deterrence. This view has been expressed by several nuclear strategists. Nuclear doctrines are not written in stone and are never absolutely rigid. They are not binding international treaties that must be adhered to in letter and spirit. Fifteen years have passed since India's nuclear doctrine was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in January 2003. A review of the nuclear doctrine is long overdue. Credible minimum deterrence and the posture of no-first-use have stood the test of time. But is there no conceivable operational contingency that justifies a first strike? Do we need a new nuclear policy for our new geopolitical reality? This book delves into the debate and charts out a way ahead.
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Sharpening the Arsenal: India's Evolving Nuclear Deterrence Policy

Speaking in Delhi in November 2016, Manohar Parrikar, India's then Defence Minister, said there should be an element of unpredictability in the country's military strategy. He wondered whether India's nuclear doctrine should be constrained by a 'no-first-use' posture. The essence of the defence minister's introspection was that ambiguity enhances deterrence. This view has been expressed by several nuclear strategists. Nuclear doctrines are not written in stone and are never absolutely rigid. They are not binding international treaties that must be adhered to in letter and spirit. Fifteen years have passed since India's nuclear doctrine was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in January 2003. A review of the nuclear doctrine is long overdue. Credible minimum deterrence and the posture of no-first-use have stood the test of time. But is there no conceivable operational contingency that justifies a first strike? Do we need a new nuclear policy for our new geopolitical reality? This book delves into the debate and charts out a way ahead.
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Sharpening the Arsenal: India's Evolving Nuclear Deterrence Policy

Sharpening the Arsenal: India's Evolving Nuclear Deterrence Policy

by Gurmeet Kanwal
Sharpening the Arsenal: India's Evolving Nuclear Deterrence Policy

Sharpening the Arsenal: India's Evolving Nuclear Deterrence Policy

by Gurmeet Kanwal

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Overview


Speaking in Delhi in November 2016, Manohar Parrikar, India's then Defence Minister, said there should be an element of unpredictability in the country's military strategy. He wondered whether India's nuclear doctrine should be constrained by a 'no-first-use' posture. The essence of the defence minister's introspection was that ambiguity enhances deterrence. This view has been expressed by several nuclear strategists. Nuclear doctrines are not written in stone and are never absolutely rigid. They are not binding international treaties that must be adhered to in letter and spirit. Fifteen years have passed since India's nuclear doctrine was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in January 2003. A review of the nuclear doctrine is long overdue. Credible minimum deterrence and the posture of no-first-use have stood the test of time. But is there no conceivable operational contingency that justifies a first strike? Do we need a new nuclear policy for our new geopolitical reality? This book delves into the debate and charts out a way ahead.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9789352773251
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 11/25/2017
Sold by: HARPERCOLLINS
Format: eBook
Pages: 272
File size: 3 MB

About the Author

Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (Retd) is Distinguished Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi; and Adjunct Fellow, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC. He is former Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi, the Indian Army's think tank. He is the author and editor of several books on defence.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

1 India: Reluctant Nuclear Power 1

2 Nuclear Doctrine: Is a Review Necessary? 12

3 Force Structure: Warheads and Delivery Systems 37

4 The Nuclear Arsenals of China and Pakistan 56

5 Tactical Nuclear Weapons Are Inherently Destabilising 73

6 India's Cold Start Doctrine: Fear Is the Key 86

7 Strategic Stability: A Bridge Too Far? 101

8 Ballistic Missile Defence: Panacea or Pipedream? 123

9 Indo-US Nuclear Agreement: Impact on Deterrence 133

10 Threat of Nuclear Terrorism 140

11 Nuclear Confidence-building and Risk-reduction Measures 149

12 Non-proliferation Challenges and Nuclear Disarmament 153

13 Sharpening the Arsenal: Looking Ahead 185

Appendices 193

Notes 225

Index 255

About the Author 267

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