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How does Nuclear Deterrence Work in India?
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The executive council of the NSA advises the political council of the NSA in case of any security threat or nuclear action needed. The political council gives orders to Strategic Nuclear Command.
Strategic Nuclear Command possesses all major nuclear arsenals, and it is the agency responsible for executing a nuclear retaliation. SNC requires approval from NCA for any nuclear action. Recent estimates suggest that India has between 90 and 110 nuclear weapons.
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Nuclear Triad
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Nuclear Triad is a term used to denote a nation that has the capabilities of a nuclear strike from land, air, and water. India has tested its abilities on land, air, and sea.
- From Land: Ballistic missiles with a nuclear warhead in the Prithvi and Agni Series.
- From Air: Nuclear bombs from Dassault Mirage 2000s and SEPECAT Jaguars. (Free-falling and un-guided method).
- From Sea: Submarines: Sagarika K-15 missile in Arihant Submarine; Ship: Dhanush missile from ships like INS Subhadra or INS Rajput.
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India’s Nuclear Weapon programme: Current status
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India has regularly engaged in diplomatic efforts to improve its nuclear standing on the global stage.
- The Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement in 2008 allowed for international civilian nuclear trade with India despite its status as a non-signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
- Developing anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) capabilities; successfully carried out an ASAT missile test in March 2019
- Possesses several types of operational nuclear-capable land-based ballistic missiles, SLBMS, and cruise missiles
- Successfully conducted 11 missile tests in late 2020, including the new naval version of the BrahMos cruise missile and hypersonic Shaurya missile
- On October 14, 2022, India conducted a successful test launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from an Arihant-class SSBN.
- As of January 2023, India was estimated to have a growing stockpile of 164 nuclear weapons, a small increase from the previous year’s count of 160. These weapons are assigned to a nuclear triad of aircraft, land-based missiles, and nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
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