Sanjeev K. Sharma
Jammu, Nov 17: Pakistan’s bid to counter every Indian warning, by the rhetoric of nuke use against us, in response to India’ s constant thrust on it to end support to terrorism, have lost its relevance and significance.
These were the views expressed by former Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Director General, Dr. Sudershan Kumar in an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior.
“Using the pretext that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers to avoid bashings in war and in the guise of this inflicting bloodshed in India through terrorists has become a habit of Pak leadership,” he said.
Presently a Defence Analyst, Dr. Kumar said, “It was only in World War-II when the atom bomb was used but afterwards no country of the world has found it as a viable option against adversary.”
It is pertinent to mention here that in World War-II two nuclear weapons were detonated over Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki which brought an abrupt end to the war.
“If the insane leadership ever decided this option against India, it will have to pay a heavy cost which it will not be able to withstand because of the ‘aggressive retaliatory action’ from Indian side,” Dr. Kumar said obviously referring to India’s belligerent neighbour Pakistan.
“Such things are of critical strategic importance and are part of policy matters so can’t be exposed in media,” he replied when asked to explain the term ‘aggressive retaliatory action’
However, Dr. Kumar said that India is well prepared to ensure effective safeguards in any such situation.
“During a nuclear explosion one counters with clubbed effect of blast, thermal effect and nuclear radiations,” he said further adding that only underground shelters are safe in such cases.
“The intensity of blast depends on the height of burst (where blast has taken place). If the blast takes place in the upper atmosphere then only Electro-Magnetic Pulse may cause damage to electronic components like computers, communication system etc. As we go up this effect will be more predominant,” he informed.
Quoting reports he said that there are 120-140 nuclear warheads with Pakistan which can be tactical low yield weapons.
“In case of low yield weapons, predominant effect will be of nuclear radiations, which can have high yield and level of radiation decreases with distance and time and it also depends on the direction of the wind. Therefore the effect will be fully localized covering a small area,” he said.
Dr. Kumar informed technologies are available to deal such contingencies also.
He further said that similar is the case of Chemical and Biological Warfare where too India is fully prepared to tackle that effects and the technology for that has been indigenously made in India.
“To counter CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear) threats one needs to develop technology for detection, individual protection, collective protection, decontamination and medical management,” he said.
“These technologies are useful to counter CBRN threats and India is fully geared up to answer such threats which form a part of psycho-warfare,” he maintained.
On smart fencing he said that this technology indigenously developed in India, will soon be used in J&K to effectively deal with infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan side.
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