London: Pakistan has 60 nuclear warheads and
with two new plutonium reactors nearing completion in Khusab,
its weapons grade plutonium production will jump seven-fold,
according to latest figures released by Swedish institute
SIPRI.
"Our conservative estimates are that Pakistan has sixty
warheads and could produce 100 nuclear weapons at short
notice," the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI) said in its latest annual report.
SIPRI also said that Islamabad was developing an air
launched cruise missile Ra`ad and had also carried out four
tests of its land launched sub-sonic cruise missile Babur. But
said it was not clear whether these missiles would be
developed to carry nuclear warheads.
The Swedish think-tank said that Pakistan`s Khusab I
reactor was giving the country 10 to 12 kgs of weapons grade
plutonium.
Islamabad had earmarked 32 US supplied F-16 fighters
along with short-range Ghaznavi I and Shaheen I missiles as
the delivery systems for its nuclear weapons, it said.
SIPRI said while 400-km range Ghaznavi I and 1,200-km
Shaheen I missiles were operational, Pakistan`s other two
potent missiles -- medium range ballistic missile Ghauri I and
Shaheen II were still in development stage.
In comparison India had also 60 to 70 nuclear warheads,
the think-tank said.
New Delhi had only short-range surface to surface Prithvi
I (with the range of up to 500 kms) and medium-range Agni I
(upto 700 kms) missiles deployed as nuclear weapon delivery
system, it said.
The Swedish institute said India`s two other missiles
Agni II (with the range of 1,200 kms) and Agni III (3,000 kms)
were still under development, though Agni II had been handed
over to the Army for user trial.
SIPRI also said that New Delhi was also developing a
1,000-km range sub-sonic cruise missile Nirbhay and had also
test fired land-based version of the undersea missile K-15
which is being called Shourya.
It said that the deployment of warship-based Dhanush
missile was underway.
PTI
