March 22, 2017

India’s no-first-use doctrine secures us while stabilising the region.

Here are some assessments with regard to India’s nuclear weapons policy:

1. There is no such thing as a tactical nuclear weapon. Whatever the yield, whatever the target, the use of a nuclear weapon is always strategic.
2. The promise of massive retaliation in response to a nuclear strike is valid for all types of nuclear weapons against all types of targets.
3. There is no difference between counter-value and counter-force targets in the India-Pakistan context.
4. Deterrence depends on our perception of what the adversary believes is unacceptable damage. The number of warheads and their explosive capacity is a means of achieving the effect. This changes with time and thus necessitates periodic review of capacity and posture.
5. Ambiguity on the meaning and interpretations of the terms in the nuclear doctrine is part of the deterrence.

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