Pakistan's nuclear weapons: features, history and interesting facts

Now Pakistan, without a doubt, is one of the most promising and actively developing countries around the world. In many ways, this country has reached such heights thanks to Pakistan's nuclear weapons. There are only nine nuclear powers in the world. To become one of them, you need to spend a lot of time and effort. But in the end, Pakistan became the fifth most powerful nuclear power.

Mystery

At the moment, it is impossible to estimate with absolute accuracy how many nuclear weapons the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has. In fact, this is practically impossible, since the information on this subject is in the vast majority of cases classified. But one way or another, investigations have recently begun to be conducted, and people have begun to find out where exactly this story began. But once upon a time the question of whether Pakistan has nuclear weapons caused only bewilderment.

How it all began

Pakistan Fighting Vehicles

The man who initiated the development of nuclear technology in Pakistan was called Abdul Kadir Khan. He was not only a physicist, but also a brilliant engineer. Abdul Kadir Khan was well versed in metallurgy. He was appreciated by employers, he was promised a great future. Having defended his doctorate, Abdul Kadir Khan began working in the international organization URENCO. It employs representatives from countries such as the Federal Republic of Germany, the United States of America, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. This company was committed to enriching uranium in order to subsequently use it in nuclear power plants. This is how Pakistan got its nuclear weapons.

Structure

Decorated battle machine

On the eve of 1974, Abdul Kadyr Khan, along with scientists from other countries, worked tirelessly on the secret URENCO project. Work was carried out on uranium. They sought to divide natural uranium into enriched and depleted. To do this, it was necessary to increase the amount of a rather rare atom U235. Ninety-nine and two-tenths of a percent of natural uranium consisted of U238. U235 was so small that there would not have been one percent. According to the most accurate estimates, in natural uranium it is 0.72%. But if you increase this small amount, you get the real nuclear weapon, because U235 can independently carry out a nuclear chain reaction.

That is, speaking in human language, they created nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

By the end of 1974, Abdul Kadir Khan managed to gain the trust and respect of his superiors and partners. He had access to almost all the information about the secret URENCO project, which was quite expected, because Abdul Kadyr Khan also held the corresponding position.

About a year later, in 1975, physicist and engineer Kadir Khan came back to Pakistan, but not alone. He brought with him classified documents relating to the creation of a nuclear bomb. Here, first of all, where Pakistan comes from nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapon development

Colorful parade of fighting vehicles

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a politician who was born in British India, and at that time the current Prime Minister of Pakistan ordered the start of work on the creation of a nuclear bomb in accordance with URENCO research. He established the Ministry of Science and Technology and increased the powers of the Atomic Energy Commission.

All sorts of honors awaited Abdul Kadir Khan. Almost instantly, a laboratory was organized for him with all the necessary conditions. This laboratory, by the way, was named in honor of Abdul Khan.

At the same time, in another laboratory, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission was working to create another atomic bomb, only based on plutonium. After several years of independent work, the laboratories joined together.

As for Abdul Kadir Khan, in 2004 he announced on the international channel that he had really stolen nuclear weapons developments from the URENCO organization, where he had held not the last position at that time. After that, the Pakistani authorities completely limited his ties with the rest of the world and put him under house arrest. He still has not been released. Abdul Kadir Khan never managed to tell his story in full, and the general public can only guess.

Plan

Military vehicle at the parade

Pakistan’s nuclear program is quite ambitious, so to speak. They worked annually on their project. Between 1976 and 1978, Pakistanis, with the help of the French, tried to process nuclear fuel, but in the end the joint activity ceased. However, after only one decade, in 1988, a uranium plant was built in the city of Kahut.

Thirteen years later, for the first time in Pakistan, it was possible to mine weapons-grade plutonium.

May 28, 1998 was marked by the fact that in the province of Pakistan, Baluchistan in the city of Chagai, there were from two to six nuclear weapons tests. Two days later, another test was conducted at the same training ground. This is how Pakistan got nuclear weapons.

Potential

Rocket by car

Pakistan is often described as the state with the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. And they constantly create new types of it! This country cannot be underestimated just because, from an economic point of view, it is inferior to the United States and a number of European countries. The state has enough weapons to defend itself against aggression from any of these countries, which is what Pakistan’s famous Nuclear Doctrine says.

Opportunity Policy

Start with the basics. The fact is that this peculiar set of rules is based, inter alia, on the game theory that has just recently gone out of fashion. Pretty strange, isn't it? In fact, there is nothing strange about this. After all, Game Theory does not describe hide and seek or napkins. She explains how the confrontation of the two sides occurs. In the case of the doctrine, these two sides are, firstly, Pakistan itself, and secondly, a foreign aggressor who has done harm to this country. Basically, "foreign aggressor" refers to India, but for other countries the rules remain the same. So in which case is Pakistan ready to use weapons of mass destruction?

Types of aggression

Soldier on the streets of Pakistan

Number one is one of the most common forms of aggression: troops crossing a foreign border. The doctrine clearly states that if the army of India or any other aggressor country dares to cross the borders of their country, the government will use nuclear weapons against the invaders. However, there is a reservation. Pakistan will only use weapons of mass destruction if state forces cannot stop the invasion. It is believed that Indian troops could reach the Indus Valley through Pakistan without provoking a nuclear strike.

From the second potential situation referred to in the Doctrine of Pakistan, one can draw the fact that this state will never allow its enemies to flourish. Also, this item can be considered one of the most powerful ways of defense, because even in case of victory, the opposing country will suffer a crushing defeat. The bottom line is that if the Pakistani army is on the verge of destruction, and it becomes clear that defeat is inevitable, Pakistan will use nuclear weapons against the enemy country.

Also, if the aggressor is the first to use chemical or biological weapons, the country, of course, will answer the same.

Pakistan Armed Forces

The economy is more closely tied to politics than it might seem. Proof of this is the Doctrine of Pakistan, which states that in the event of a deliberate economic blow to the country, they are ready to use nuclear weapons.

Propaganda in certain districts of the state, the spread of separatist sentiments in society can also serve as an impetus to the use of nuclear weapons. But only on condition that the well-being and independence of the country will be compromised.

But in practice

In fact, this is not all. Only the official part. As you know, in 1998, the representative of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan at the United Nations, Shamshad Ahmad, said that his country was ready to use nuclear weapons not only for self-defense, but also without any doubt act as an aggressor if India’s actions on the international arena seem suspicious to them. or threatening.

Plan

Map of pakistan

In the first place, Pakistan is committed to warning the country, which has shown itself as an aggressor, that they intend to respond to the threat with a nuclear attack. By the way, this statement can not be made to the state level. Nothing of the kind is required. If this warning does not have the desired effect, then Pakistan will move to the next level and produce a revealing bomb explosion on its own land. If this does not force the country, which threatens the sovereignty of the state, to stop, then a nuclear attack is no longer made with the aim of intimidation, but in order to defeat the enemy army.

The next and one of the last steps is that Pakistan is delivering a nuclear strike already on the territory of the enemy country. It is assumed that the victims will be only the objects necessary for the war, namely, factories that produce tanks, ammunition, any weapons, laboratories, etc. All these structures should be located far from densely populated places, but in reality this is only in theory. In fact, meaningless victims cannot be avoided. And the bill will already go not to hundreds and thousands, but to millions, since other states, of course, will not simply observe the nuclear war from afar.

Nuclear Weapons India-Pakistan

Rockets in the parade

But underestimate the fact that the Pakistani government initiated the development of nuclear weapons in response to the emergence of nuclear weapons in India. Even now, in the doctrine, India is mainly regarded as the enemy. And paradoxical as it may seem, Pakistan’s aggression pushed this country to create a nuclear bomb. The reasons also include strained relations with the People's Democratic Republic of China. And here is the answer to the question where did India and Pakistan get nuclear weapons.

Equality all over the world

In 1965, Pakistani Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto argued that since followers of the Christian, Jewish and Hindu faith had access to nuclear weapons, then Muslims deserve the same privilege.

The American government also strongly protested against Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, and even initiated an international embargo against the country. But that did not stop Pakistan from becoming a nuclear power and threatening the whole world if someone tried to attack the country or hinder its development.


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