Indias Nuclear History

1
Indias Nuclear History

• David Schmich
• Mitch Michals

2
Overview

• Why INDIA began to explore and expierement with
  nuclear energy.
• Indias switch to nuclear weapons and tests
  conducted by India
• Indias current nuclear policy

3
The Beginning 1944-1960

• Indias nuclear efforts began in 1944, when Dr.
  Homi Jehangir Bhabha submitted a proposal to the
  Sir Dorab Tata Trust about founding a nuclear
  research institute.
• Proposal is accepted as the Tata Institute of
  Fundamental Research (TIFR) is opened on 19
  December 1945 with Bhabha as its first Director.

4
The Beginning 1944-1960

• In 1948, Indias parliament passes the Atomic
  Energy Act, which establishes the Indian Atomic
  Energy Commission, committed to non-violent
  nuclear energy uses.
• In 1955, India built their first nuclear reactor
  but by 1960, certain members wanted to move on to
  atomic weapons.

5
On To Nuclear Weapons 1961-74

• In 1962, Parliament passed revised Atomic Energy
  Act leaving all nuclear decisions up to
  Parliament.
• With growing tensions with China as well as fear
  that they would conduct a nuclear test, India
  began work on a nuclear bomb.
• Nehru died in 1964 and his successor was a
  Gandhian so he was strongly opposed to nuclear
  testing.

6
On To Nuclear Weapons 1961-74

• In 1967, Raj Ramanna took charge of Indias
  nuclear program and plans for Indias first
  nuclear test got out of its dormancy.
• As the time for the test neared, the project
  called Smiling Buddha, the Chinese detonated
  their own nuclear weapon, speeding up the
  timetable for India.

7
Smiling Buddha May 18, 1974

• Test Smiling Buddha
• Time 805 18 May 1974 (IST)
• Location Pokhran, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India
• 27.095 deg N, 71.752 E
• Test Height and Type Underground, -107 m
• Yield 8 kt (12-13 kt claimed)
• Test was called peaceful but Raj Ramanna claimed
  otherwise about 10 years ago.

8
Smiling Buddha Test Crater
Smiling Buddha Nuclear Cloud
9
A Long Pause, 1974-98

• Indias first nuclear test was called a success.
• However changes in governments as well as stances
  on nuclear testing lead to a long pause of
  nuclear testing.
• In the late 1980s, India began to look into
  thermonuclear weapon testing and in 1989, William
  H. Webster, director of the CIA, testified before
  the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that
  "indicators that tell us India is interested in
  thermonuclear weapons capability."

10
A Long Pause, 1974-98

• India was purifying lithium, producing tritium
  and separating lithium isotopes. India had also
  obtained pure beryllium metal from West Germany.
• The new weapons project was to be called
  Operation Shakti, and these latest of the tests
  would make India a nuclear weapons state.

11
Operation Shakti, 1998

• 5 tests occurred on May 11-13 1998, 3 on the 11th
  and 2 on the 13th.
• Test Shakti I
• Time 154707 11 May 1998 (IST)
• 101707 UCT (Indian Government), 101342 UCT
  (USGS)
• Location Pokhran, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India
• 27.0716 deg N, 71.7612 deg E
• Test Height and Type Underground, more than -200
  m
• Yield 30 kt est. (22-30 kt possible range 43-45
  kt claimed)

12
Operation Shakti, 1998

• Test Shakti II
• Time 154707 11 May 1998 (IST)
• 101707 UCT (Indian Government), 101342 UCT
  (USGS)
• Location Pokhran, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India
• 27.0716 deg N, 71.7612 deg E
• Test Height and Type Underground, more than -150
  m
• Yield 12 kt
• Test Shakti III
• Time 154707 11 May 1998 (IST)
• 101707 UCT (Indian Government), 101342 UCT
  (USGS)
• Location Pokhran, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India
• 27.0716 deg N, 71.7612 deg E
• Test Height and Type Underground
• Yield 0.3 kt

13
Operation Shakti, 1998

• Test Shakti IV and V
• Time 1221 13 May 1998 (IST)
• 651 13 May 1998 (UCT)
• Location Pokhran, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India
• 27.0716 deg N, 71.7612 deg E
• Test Height and Type Two shots, both shallow
  underground
• Yield lt 0.1 kt each?? (0.5 kt and 0.3 kt claimed)

14
Indias nuclear weapons today

• 30-35 Nuclear weapons (Not Confirmed)
• Indias intention is to have a nuclear arsenal
  just to show.
• Never to be used as a first-strike weapon though
  weapons have first-strike capability but weapons
  can be used in retalitation.

15
Nuclear policy

• India is a member of the International Atomic
  Energy Agency (IAEA), and four of its 13 nuclear
  reactors are subject to IAEA safeguards.
• However India has not signed the Comprehensive
  Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) or the Non-Proliferation
  Treaty (NPT) along with North Korea and Pakistan.

16
Sources

• http//www.fas.org/nuke/guide/india/nuke/
• http//nuclearweaponarchive.org/India/index.html