India will soon have potential to launch N-warhead from land, air or water

India would soon have the potential to launch a nuclear warhead from land, air or water. For the first time, the country's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chief Srikumar Banerjee spoke about the weaponisation programmes undertaken to ensure minimum credible detterence.

India would soon have the potential to launch a nuclear warhead from land, air or water. For the first time, the country's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chief Srikumar Banerjee spoke about the weaponisation programmes undertaken to ensure minimum credible detterence.

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The announcement was made at the founder's day celebrations at BARC, India's main n-weapon complex, on Friday.

He said that all the three forces, the Army, Navy and Air Force, will have fully functional delivery systems.

“Our strategic programme will be further strengthened to assure minimum credible deterrents - our triad of the delivery system will be fully functional,” Banerjee said.

This would ensure that missiles carrying nuclear warheads could be delivered by the Army, Navy or Air Force.

The AEC chief also said that entry and exit points to the country, by land, sea and air, will be equipped with scanners of different kinds to provide security against any unauthorised movement of nuclear materials.

In the wake of Pokhran nuclear weapons tests conducted in May 1998, former prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee had said that India would have a minimum credible deterrent and the delivery systems for the Army, Navy and Air Force will be fully functional.

Also, this is for the first time since the embargo on civil nuclear co-operation was lifted in September 2008 that India has talked about its weaponisation programme to ensure minimum credible deterrence.

“Electromagnetic and high power microwave devices will be deployed in our missile defence system,” Banerjee also said. Deployment of electromagnetic and high power microwave devices in missile defence system would help our missiles home into targets with precision, he added.