About nuclear weapons

India possesses nuclear weapons and maintains short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, nuclear-capable aircraft, surface ships, and submarines under development as possible delivery systems and platforms. Although it lacks an operational ballistic missile submarine, India has ambitions of possessing a nuclear triad in the near future when INS Arihant the lead ship of India's Arihant class of nuclear-powered submarines formally joins the Indian Navy in 2012 after undergoing extensive sea-trials. Though India has not made any official statements about the size of its nuclear arsenal, estimates suggest that India has between 40 and 95 nuclear weapons,[2][3] consistent with estimates that it has produced enough weapons-grade plutonium for up to 75-110 nuclear weapons.[4] Production of weapons-grade plutonium production is believed to be taking place at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which is home to the CIRUS reactor acquired from Canada, to the indigenous Dhruva reactor, and to a plutonium separation facility.
India is not a signatory to the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which India argues entrenches the status quo of the existing nuclear weapons states whilst preventing general nuclear disarmament.[5] India tested a nuclear device in 1974 (code-named "Smiling Buddha"), which it called a "peaceful nuclear explosion." The test used plutonium produced in the Canadian-supplied CIRUS reactor, and raised concerns that nuclear technology supplied for peaceful purposes could be diverted to weapons purposes. This also stimulated the early work of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.[6] India performed further nuclear tests in 1998 (code-named "Operation Shakti").
India has signed and ratified both the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Name Class Range Payload Status
Agni-I SRBM 700 km 1,000 kg Operational
Agni-II MRBM 2,200 km 500 kg - 1,000 kg Operational
Agni-II Prime MRBM 2,750 km - 3,000 km 500 kg - 1,500 kg Under Development
Agni-III IRBM 3,500 km 2,490 kg Under induction
Agni-V ICBM 5,000 km - 6,000 km 3,000 kg+ Under Development
Agni 3SL ICBM 5,200 km - 11,600 km 700 kg - 1,400 kg Under Development
Dhanush SRBM 350 km 500 kg Operational
Nirbhay Subsonic Cruise Missile 1,000 km  ? Under Development
Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile 290 km 300 kg Operational
P-70 Ametist Anti-shipping Missile 65 km 530 kg Operational
P-270 Moskit Supersonic Cruise Missile 120 km 320 kg Operational
Popeye ASM 78 km 340 kg Operational
Prithvi-I SRBM 150 km 1000 kg Operational
Prithvi-II SRBM 250 km 500 kg Operational
Prithvi-III SRBM 350 km 500 kg Operational
Sagarika SLBM 700 km - 2,200 km 150 kg - 1000 kg Under Development
Shaurya TBM 700 km - 2,200 km 150 kg - 1,000 kg Under Development




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