When did india test nuclear weapons

India, China & NPT Appendix to information paper (Updated December 2016) Both India and China are rapidly increasing their energy, and particularly electricity, use. They have well-considered policies to increase dramatically their use of nuclear power to make that electricity. Both see nuclear power as an important ingredient of sustainable development. However, for nearly four decades they have had very different status internationally regarding nuclear non-proliferation, with China enjoying the benefits of being party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and India excluded from those benefits, despite its scrupulous conformity to its principles. India background Nuclear power for civil use is well established in India and has been a priority since independence in 1947. In 1948 the Atomic Energy Act was passed, and the Atomic energy Commission set up. Under it, the Department of Atomic Energy was created in 1954, when the country's 3-stage plan for establishing nuclear power was first outlined. This plan first employs Pressurised Heavy-Water Reactors (PHWR) fuelled by natural uranium to generate electricity and produce plutonium as a by-product. Stage 2 plans to use fast breeder reactors burning the plutonium to breed U-233 from thorium. Stage 3 is to develop this and produce a surplus of fissile material. India's civil nuclear strategy has been directed towards complete independence in the nuclear fuel cycle, necessary because it is excluded from the 1970 Nucle...

In the Rajasthan Desert in the municipality of Pokhran, India successfully detonates its first nuclear weapon, a fission bomb similar in explosive power to the India, which suffered continuing border disputes with China, refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968. Fearing a second war with China and a fourth war with Pakistan, India actively sought the development of a nuclear deterrent in the early 1970s. The successful detonation of its first bomb on May 18, 1974, set off an expanded arms race with Pakistan that saw no further nuclear tests but the development of lethal intermediate and long-range ballistic missiles by both countries. On May 11, 1998, India resumed nuclear testing, leading to international outrage and Pakistan’s detonation of its first nuclear bomb later in the month.

Updated January 2023 India tested its first nuclear weapon in 1974, becoming the sixth country to detonate a nuclear weapon. The country’s arsenal carries weapons with estimated average yields ranging from 10 to 40 kilotons, though exact yields are unknown. India is pursuing membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and became a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime in 2016. India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty nor The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty . India bases its nuclear posture on deterring its nuclear armed neighbors: China and Pakistan. India’s Chief of Defense Staff declared in November 2021 that China was India’s biggest security threat. The range of New Delhi’s new Agni-4, 5, and 6 nuclear-capable missiles suggest that military planners foresee a need for longer strike ranges than across the Pakistani border. The perceived need to assure mutual ensured destruction with China could enable thinking whereby India may seek more nuclear capabilities. India currently maintains a No First Use policy, but comments made by Indian officials in the late 2010s as well as a declaration in 2003 undermine this policy. Officials warned that they could use nuclear weapons in response to chemical or biological attacks considering terrorist attacks attributed to Pakistan. India possesses a full nuclear triad and is currently pursuing modernization efforts. How Many? India has never publicly released the size of its nuclear arsenal. One assessment...

• U.S. Detected Indian Nuclear Test Preparations in 1995, but Photo Evidence was “Clear As Mud” • Documents Reveal Washington’s Uncertainty Over Whether Prime Minister Rao Had Approved a Test, but Eventually State Department Intelligence Predicted a Non-Test • U.S. Intelligence Characterized 1974 “Peaceful Nuclear Explosion” as “Near-Failure” • Analysts Joked They Had Detected a Satellite TV Dish--Good for Viewing MTV on “Long Lonely Nights” In the last months of 1995, U.S intelligence agencies detected signs of nuclear test preparations at India’s test site in Pokhran, but the satellite photos that analysts studied were “as clear as mud,” according to declassified documents published today by the The Clinton administration was worried that the Indians were about to stage a nuclear test because it could trigger a nuclear arms race with Pakistan and possibly encourage their “neighbors” to reconsider adherence to the Nonproliferation Treaty. Surveillance by U.S. intelligence of the Indian test site at Pokhran was intense. Declassified e-mails by Arms Control and Disarmament Agency staffers indirectly discuss satellite reconnaissance photography of the test site noting the mysterious rearrangement of cables possibly connecting to a test device. The e-mails provide readers with a sense of the difficulty of analyzing satellite photographs of intricate human-made structures. One of the e-mails, for instance, has this title: “The Mystery of the Cables Continues.” The messages are...

First Nuclear Test at Pokhran in 1974 India conducted its first nuclear detonation, described by India as a "peaceful nuclear explosion," on 18 May 1974. This test, which may have only been partially successful, demonstrated a claimed yield of 12 kt. The device was emplaced in a vertical shaft and detonated at a depth of 107 meters. It is reported that the American intelligence community estimated that the actual yield was in the range of 4 to 6 kilotons. The test produced a crater with a radius variously reported at between 47 and 75 meters, and a depth of about 10 meters. High-resolution commercial satellite imagery discloses that the subsidence area proper has a radius of about 60 meters, and is surrounded by a distinctive heart-shaped perimeter with a radius of roughly 80 meters. First underground nuclear explosion at Pokhran in Rajasthan on May 18, 1974. Photo shows a view of the creater formed after the explosion. First underground nuclear explosion at Pokhran in Rajasthan on May 18, 1974. Photo shows a view of the creater formed after the explosion. Click on the small image to view a larger version SPIN-2 IMAGERY 01 June 1996 IKONOS IMAGERY 03 February 2000 1974 Nuclear Test Crater 1974 Nuclear Test Crater Sources and Resources • • http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/india/nuke/first-pix.htm Maintained by Updated Tuesday, July 04, 2000 9:46:13 AM

By India Today News Desk: India is intensifying its efforts to bolster its nuclear capabilities, with a particular emphasis on developing longer-range weapons, according to a report by Sweden-based think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). This strategic shift is driven by escalating tensions and perceived threats from neighbours China and Pakistan, the report stated. According to the report, India and Pakistan appeared to be expanding their nuclear arsenals and developing new types of nuclear delivery systems. "While Pakistan remains the main focus of India's nuclear deterrent, India appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets across China," the report stated. The rapidly increasing geo-political tension in the Indo-Pacific region, marked by China's assertive behaviour and rapid military modernisation, has compelled India to reassess its strategic priorities. ALSO READ | The Defence Ministry's ongoing enhancement of Agni series ballistic missiles, such as Agni-V with a range of over 5,000 kilometers, demonstrates its commitment to extending its strike capabilities. Additionally, India's investments in advanced missile defence systems aim to protect its assets and counter potential threats, enhancing its overall nuclear deterrent. Meanwhile, the Sipri report estimated that China's nuclear arsenal had increased from 350 warheads in January 2022 to 410 in January 2023, and that it was ...