HVK Archives: Pak being helped to develop missiles with N-warheads:report
Pak being helped to develop missiles with N-warheads:report - The Times of India
Times of India News Service
()
July 21, 1998
Title: Pak being helped to develop missiles with N-warheads:report
Author: Times of India News Service
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 21, 1998
Pointing out that India was now a nuclear weapons state, the
latest report of the defence ministry has stated that China's
nuclear weapons status, Pakistan's self-acknowledged nuclear
capability and the presence of nuclear weapons in the Indian
Ocean were factors impinging on India's security calculations.
The report, making it clear that India had no intention of using
its nuclear weapons for aggression or mounting threats, also
emphasised that the country would not embark on an arms race.
"The way is open for formalising the voluntary moratorium India
has announced on further nuclear test explosions," the report
stated.
"International disarmament and non-proliferation treaties should
be universal and non-discriminatory and must provide security for
all," it said, adding that global nuclear disarmament and
elimination of nuclear weapons were essential for regional and
global security and for "genuine and durable non-proliferation."
Keeping these factors in view, it stated that the clandestine
transfer of sensitive materials and technology by countries
should neither be overlooked nor condoned for the sake of
political expediency.
Referring to the Pakistani nuclear weapons tests, the report
stated, "It has confirmed the unmistakable signals consciously
projected by its leadership over the last few years that its
nuclear weapons programme is a reality."
It further stated that Pakistan had also been making claims about
the development of increasingly longer range ballistic missiles
armed with nuclear warheads. "There are credible and well-
documented reports of outside assistance to Pakistan in these
fields. External assistance to Pakistan is taking place despite
the existence of multilateral export control regimes, unilateral
declarations of restraint and supply restrictions in producer
countries."
The report, therefore, regretted that the Clinton
administration's decision to impose sanctions against India had
ignored one of the main reasons for the deterioration in the
region's security environment - China's assistance to Pakistan's
nuclear and missile programmes.
It stated that India was conscious of the fact that China was a
nuclear weapons state and maintained one of the largest standing
armies in the world. "Its military modernisation programme is
rapidly transforming the technological quality and force
projection capabilities of its armed forces in all aspects." it
stated.
According to the report, India was also aware of the military
collaboration between China and Myanmar, including the strategic
lines of communication. It pointed out that India would continue
to have bilateral discussions with China in order to sort out
outstanding differences. "Pakistan's hostile and negative mindset
against India and the manifestation of this mind-set in the shape
of fomenting and supporting terrorist activities in Jammu and
Kashmir and other parts of India continues unabated
According to the report, Pakistan's official agencies were
directly involved in the operational planning and co-ordination
of militant and terrorist activities in different parts of India.
"Members of the Pakistani government visit fundamentalist,
militant and terrorist training camps in Pakistan to extend open
political and material support to them," it stated, adding,
akistan has also been waging a proxy war against India by
sending armed mercenaries and weapons into Jammu and Kashmir.
India has continued to display great restraint in the face of
these activities"
On the integrated guided missile development programme, it said
the army version of the surface-to-surface missile 'Prithvi',
with a range of 150 km, was in the production phase. "The second
flight trial of the missile with a range of 250 km has been
successfully undertaken. The ground electronics radar vehicle for
the air force version of the surface-to-air missile, 'Trishul' is
under the final phase of integration.
"The development of 'Trishul', 'Akash' and 'Nag' systems has been
delayed due to additional time taken in the realisation of state-
ofthe-art technologies. Changes made in the user's requirements
and non-availability of some critical components, necessitated
their indigenisation. These projects should be completed before
June 1999," it added.
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