Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear Weapons

“A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions.”-Wikipedia. A thermonuclear weapon of 1,100 kg has the destructive capacity of 1.1 million tonnes of TNT. The issue of development of nuclear weapons and their use in course of warfare has been a subject of intense debate ever since their inception. But that they offer the deterrence of mutually assured destruction seems to be self-evident.

It is no wonder then that some states run after their development as the holy-grail of military might, before actually developing their nations from the grass-roots level. Even India made a comeback on the world stage after a long hiatus thanks to the Pokhran II tests under the able leadership of A.B. Vajpayee.

The threat of nuclear weapons is very real. With the spread of technological advancement, development of nuclear weapons by different nations is possible and the threat of a suicide-bomber state is also not unreal. So how can we prevent our posterity from living under the fear of a nuclear holocaust?

The doctrine of No First Use in case of nuclear weapons is indeed laudable. But NATO has been reluctant to accept it. The development of the Missile Defense Shield, much to the chagrin of Russia, has been a topic of great controversy. One possible solution might be the joint development of such a system with countries with a No First Use policy reaffirmed by actions that testify that commitment. But the broader implication of such a strategy needs to be studied.