New Delhi, Jan. 28: Even in the event of a nuclear strike by a hostile neighbour, the Indian Army has developed the ability to march through areas contaminated by the strike and launch operations against the enemy.
The ability is significant, given that Pakistan has been trying to produce more nuclear warheads to negate the traditional edge that the Indian Army has always enjoyed in conventional forces. This will also mean that a nuclear attack will not cripple the Indian Army and not deter it from launching retaliatory operations.
Speaking to this newspaper in an exclusive interview, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. V.K. Singh, said, “Even if there is a (nuclear) strike in a particular area, we have developed a capability to move a certain force level through that, which will not get affected by this (nuclear contamination). Once the area is contaminated, (even then) we can move through contaminated areas.”
But Gen. Singh said India was supremely confident of its own nuclear deterrence capabilities. “No country in the world will use it (the nuclear arsenal) immediately despite whatever they say. They (Pakistan) can keep accumulating what they want to. I’m sure, as our policy goes, you have enough retaliatory triad (the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air and sea) available to cater for such kind of an attack.”
While India can launch nuclear weapons from land and air, it is on the threshold of developing the capability of launching these from sea as well with the forthcoming operationalisation of its first nuclear-powered indigenous submarine that is capable of launching missiles with nuclear warheads. The completion of this nuclear triad will add to the second-strike capability which is crucial to ensure effective retaliation when faced with a nuclear attack.