Article

2006-06-19 India-Pakistan

India can produce up to 50 nukes per year

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Posted by john 2006-06-19 16:22|| || Front Page|| [9 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 His math is wrong.

The 100 MW NRX type reactor "Dhruva" at Bombay alone produces 30 kg of plutonium a year.

Six 220 MW CANDU reactors, Dhruva and the replacement for the 30 MW CIRUS NRX reactor (an even bigger NRX reactor - perhaps 200 MW) plus the 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor (which would breed Plutonium 239 and Uranium 233 in its breeder blankets) would produce significantly more plutonium than 130 kg a year. The core of the Indian Fast Breeder uses two tons (2000 kg) of plutonium. (The pit of an implosion weapon requires 5 kg of weapons grade or 7 kg of reactor grade plutonium).

Posted by john 2006-06-19 18:39|| 2006-06-19 18:39|| Front Page Top

#2 Fact is, these reactors are being kept off the safeguard list, not to make bombs, but to keep ElBaradei's inspectors away. The Indian nuclear scientists don't really trust the IAEA.

Just a small proportion of the plutonium output is enough to satisfy India's weapons grade plutonium needs. India will do as it has always done, siphon off a little material for its military program from the much larger civilian program.

It did this with the missile program. The civilian space program is quite sophisticated. The core solid booster of the PSLV for instance is one of the largest solid rocket motors in the world.
A small amount of this technology ends up in the military missile program.

Posted by john 2006-06-19 19:18|| 2006-06-19 19:18|| Front Page Top

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