- India declared that its nuclear triad, stated in its nuclear doctrine, is operational.
- A nuclear triad is a three-pronged military force structure that consists of land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-missile-armed submarines and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles.
- India’s And-triad became operational with its indigenous ballistic missile nuclear submarine INS Arihant conducted its first deterrence patrol.
- India completed its nuclear triad with the commissioning of INS Arihant in August 2016, which was India’s first submarine built ingenuously. India had made its Nuclear Doctrine in 2003 and the characteristics of India’s Nuclear Doctrine are as follows—
- –The basic principle of India’s nuclear doctrine is “No First Use”.According to this policy, nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian Territory or on Indian forces anywhere. India needs to build and maintain a Credible Minimum Deterrent. This includes;
(i). Sufficient and survivable nuclear forces to inflict unacceptable damage to the enemy.
(ii). Nuclear Forces must be operationally prepared at all times.
(iii). Effective Intelligence and Early Warning Capabilities.
(iv). Communication of Deterrence Capability to the enemy
- The purpose of having this three-branched nuclear capability is to significantly reduce the possibility that an enemy could destroy all of a nation’s nuclear forces in a first-strike attack.
- This, in turn, ensures a credible threat of a second strike, and thus increases a nation’s nuclear deterrence.
- India’s nuclear weapons policy is that of “no first use” and “minimum credible deterrence,” which means that the country will not use nuclear weapons unless they are attacked first, but the country does have the capability to induce the second strike.
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