Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 23, February 1998

India Scientific Adviser Discusses India WMD Development

Speaking in Bangalore on 23 February, Abdul Kalam, a senior scientific advisor to the Indian Government, addressed the issue of India's ongoing programmes to develop and enhance its weapons-of-mass-destruction (WMD) capability. Reportedly referring to the capacity of the Agni medium-range ballistic missile to deliver nuclear warheads, Kalam observed:

"The Indian leadership has always believed that the most up-to-date technologies, including nuclear ones, should be used to strengthen the country's defence potential. In light of the fact that active work on mass destruction weapons is now underway in one of the countries neighbouring on India, we cannot allow our country to lag behind in scientific, experimental, and designing work for defence purposes..."

Kalam added:

"We have achieved a breakthrough in the development of supercomputers and in the manufacture of several rare elements and materials, needed for their production."

Report: Indian Agni missile is a multipurpose weapon, Itar-Tass, 23 February.

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