Zafar Khan
Dr. Zafar Khan is the author of Pakistan’s Nuclear Policy: A Minimum Credible Deterrence (Routledge: London, 2015). He is PhD in Nuclear and Strategic Studies from the University of Hull, UK, and is currently serving as Assistant Professor at the Department of Strategic Studies, National Defence University, Islamabad.
DOI: http://DOI Number
Keywords: Star Wars, BMD, US, Europe, China, Russia, India, South Asia, nuclear strategy, dynamics, India’s grand nuclear strategy, strategic effects, flawed, strategic repercussions
Abstract
It’s safe to assume that if the United States kept up with the BMD’s construction and expansion, China and Russia would worry about the efficacy of their deterrent capabilities. Unless the United States makes a determined diplomatic effort to persuade its two major adversaries, China and Russia, that the defences it has placed are not intended to be used against them, the two countries are likely to feel apprehensive in the face of mounting security anxieties. On the other hand, the United States extended this offer to India as part of their growing strategic partnership, which would dramatically change the security dynamics in South Asia by increasing the security of one state at the expense of another. This essay principally argues that these conceptual assumptions are incorrect in light of the goals of India’s grand nuclear policy and the country’s projected defence deployments. In contrast to the assertions of many proponents of BMD, this analysis argues that the strategic impact of India’s deployed defences in South Asia would be ambiguous. This research gives a conceptual analysis of these main concerns and elaborates on how and why the advocates of India’s deployed defences may not be very persuasive, which could have several strategic repercussions in the South Asian region. Initially, the inception and introduction of India’s BMD programme are briefly discussed. It then analyses the debate between BMD pessimism and BMD optimism to help readers grasp the central claim, namely, that the arguments advanced in defence of India’s currently deployed defences are weak and fallacious.
First Published
December 25, 2015
How to Cite
Zafar Khan, “India’s Grand Nuclear Strategy: A Road Towards Deployment of Ballistic Missile Defence System,” Regional Studies 34, no.1 (Winter 2015-16): 48-64, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/indias-grand-nuclear-strategy-a-road-towards-deployment-of-ballistic-missile-defence-system/
Issue
Volume 34, Issue 1