Nuclear Submarines in South Asia: New Risks and Dangers

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Abstract

The South Asian nuclear race is moving to sea, with India’s government announcing that it has successfully put nuclear weapons at sea, and evidence suggesting that Pakistan is preparing to do so. This article traces India’s decision to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, some armed with nuclear weapons, and the debate in Pakistan on the utility of nuclear-armed submarines and the possible acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. The article then reviews the global history of submarine accidents, especially those where nuclear-powered submarines were involved, and looks in particular at the consequences of a potential naval reactor accident where radioactivity might be released into the environment. Such naval reactor accidents constitute a major but unappreciated challenge associated with the deployment of nuclear submarines in addition to new pathways for escalation to nuclear war that are more widely recognized.

About the Authors

Abdul Hameed Nayyar is a physicist, who retired from Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad after serving it for over 30 years. Since retirement, he has worked at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Ali Institute of Education Lahore, and Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad. He currently works as a freelance consultant. His interests lie in the areas of education, nuclear security, and energy. He also contributes to national, regional and international peace movements.

Zia Mian is a physicist and co-director of Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security, part of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, where he has worked since 1997. He also directs the Program’s Project on Peace and Security in South Asia.

Professor M.V. Ramana, Ph.D. is the Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security and Director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs, The University of British Columbia.