Nasr: A ban or a boon?

Hatf-IX (Nasr) missile test on April 19th brings two critical security issues into focus and these are the utility of so-called tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) for deterrence and the concept of deterrence itself. Our use of Cold War literature and related lexicon in South Asian thinking is like carrying the latest map of New York to find our way in Rawalpindi’s maze. It gets you nowhere. Let me explain why.
With the new START in force and in the spirit of Lisbon Treaty, ambassadors from 10 European countries submitted a non-paper to NATO’s Secretary General on April 14th. They sought increased transparency and confidence with regard to TNWs in Europe. Their basic argument is flawed as there is nothing tactical about nuclear weapons.
Even after five decades since the so-called TNWs stirred the European teacup, their leaders are still trying to develop a common understanding of the role that these weapons play in the strategic doctrines of NATO and the Russian Federation for further reductions after new START and their ultimate elimination. It’s a haunting issue because they were unmindful in accepting American nuclear weapons on their soil and didn’t realise that the word ‘tactical’ was probably used to make these politically palatable.
The advent of nukes and delivery systems changed the nature of warfare. Are nukes tactical or strategic? The answer

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 1st, 2011, 10:10 pm and is filed under Defense. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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