China-India-Pakistan: Nuclear Command and Control in Southern Asia
On Wednesday 25th February Dr. Swaran Singh, Senior Visiting Fellow at SASSI gave a talk on Nuclear Command and Control in Southern Asia.
Given their geographical proximity, history of wars, varieties of political models - which are often perceived as complicated and fragile - all put premium in expanding their mutual trust and understanding on all the components of their nuclear deterrence doctrines. Especially, dated inventories of their C4I2R technologies also place undue expectations from their political judgment and authority in ensuring Southern Asia's strategic stability.
This need for 'restraint' and quick threat assessment and appropriate response, in absence of second-strike capabilities has only limited lessons to learn from the East-West nuclear theologies of Cold War years. All this clearly underlines the criticality of understanding and advertising the strengths and weaknesses of the political component of the nuclear command and control of these three countries.
All three nuclear establishments continue to face unique new internal and external challenges. However, their experiences may make a seminal contribution to understanding of nuclear deterrence equations amongst the new nuclear states amongst the developing countries.
Prof. Swaran Singh is Professor of Diplomacy and Disarmament studies at the
School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is President, Association of ASIA Scholars (South Asia Chapter), New Delhi and General Secretary, Indian Congress of Asian & Pacific Studies, Varanasi as well as a Member, ASF Regional Review Committee (South Asia), New Delhi
