What are tactical nuclear weapons that coward Pakistan is threatening India with? Pakistan has total…, India can respond with…
Tactical nuclear weapons: Pakistan has been continuously intimidating India with threats of nuclear bombs, especially after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview with Sky News, has attempted to warn the world about the use of nuclear weapons. Pakistan is confident that due to nuclear bombs, India will not attempt to attack. Experts believe that Pakistan possesses small tactical nuclear weapons. Former Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has also mentioned these small nuclear bombs before. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand what these bombs are.
According to the Observer Research Foundation report, Pakistan has developed Tactical Nuclear Weapons (TNWs) in recent years. These have been specifically designed with India in mind. Pakistan has developed TNWs because it knows it does not have the capability to win against India in conventional warfare. India’s vast military capability can easily crush Pakistan, which is why it has added a new arrow to its quiver. These are referred to as strategic nuclear bombs. They are different from conventional nuclear bombs. These bombs are designed to devastate a specific area to prevent widespread destruction in larger regions, but that small area is completely obliterated.
What kind of tactical nuclear weapons Pakistan has?
Pakistani defense experts have claimed that these strategic nuclear bombs can play a vital role against traditional attacks from India. However, critics argue that strategic nuclear weapons lower the nuclear threshold and that the extent of destruction they could cause cannot be estimated. Nuclear weapons are believed to have a highly destructive capacity and emit nuclear radiation for years.
However, strategic nuclear bombs can spread devastation in a specific area. According to the information available, the command and control of these bombs has been entrusted to regional commanders and mid-level military officers. It is believed that Pakistan developed them under the ‘Cold Start Doctrine.’ This means that if Indian soldiers enter Pakistan, they should be stopped immediately. The main purpose of the ‘Cold Start Doctrine’ is to instill fear.
About when and under what circumstances Pakistan will use its TNW weapons, Lieutenant General Khalid Kidwai, head of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), claimed that “nuclear weapons (whether strategic or tactical) will only be used when Pakistan’s very existence is at stake,” according to the Observer Research Foundation.
Kidwai cited some conditions for their use which include:
When an attack occurs and a large portion of its territory is occupied.
When a significant portion of Pakistan’s land or air force is destroyed.
When there is an attempt to economically choke Pakistan.
When Pakistan is pushed towards political instability or internal sabotage.
Capability of Pakistan’s tactical nuclear weapons
Tactical nuclear weapons are used to achieve immediate results on the battlefield. Their targets are military installations. They weigh about 100 to 1000 kilotons and can be launched from ICBM and SLBM missiles. Pakistan possesses tactical nuclear weapons capable of devastating an area of about 70 to 100 kilometers, and these can be launched from mobile platforms.
Although India’s policy regarding nuclear bombs is ‘no first use’, India’s nuclear doctrine says that if Pakistan uses even a small nuclear bomb, India will wipe out the entire Pakistan.
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