In this book, a leading authority on India's nuclear program offers an informed and thoughtful assessment of India's nuclear strategy. He shows that the country's nuclear-strategic culture is generally in accord with the principle of minimum deterrence, but is sometimes inconsistent and has a tendency to drift into a more open-ended process. He addresses areas of concern, notably the relationship between minimum deterrence and subnuclear conflict, the threat from nuclear terrorism, and the special challenges nuclear weapons pose for a democratic society.
Rajesh M. Basrur is Director of the Centre for Global Studies in Mumbai, India. He has been a visiting fellow at Sandia National Laboratories, the Brookings Institution, and the Henry L. Stimson Center.
Contents 1Introduction: Nuclear Weapons in World Politics1 2The Essentials of Minimum Deterrence25 3Strategic Culture49 4Compellence in a Nuclear Environment80 5Missile Defense102 6Nuclear Terrorism122 7Minimum Deterrence and Democracy148 8Conclusion: Shaping the Uncertain Future169 Notes185 Index000