National Security Initiatives at the Department of Atomic Energy

Sunil S

Introduction

We talk about many problems like disarmament, and sometimes one has the feeling that although there is apparent agreement, really behind it there is not that faith in disarmament that is necessary, and that talks are more of some kind of attempt to put the other party in the wrong rather than to achieve something, while it is of the utmost importance that achievement should take place.

- Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru [[i]]

India is the world’s largest secular democracy. The preservation of its social, political, and economic well-being constitutes the primary focus of efforts of the Government of India. To secure their well-being, Indians must be able seek resources and generate wealth on a global scale to meet their needs. A global environment that is dominated by nuclear powers vying for control of critical resources is not conducive to producing the peace and stability essential to India’s growth as a nation. It stands to reason that verifiable, non-discriminatory, global nuclear disarmament is a natural goal of India’s policy.  This was the dominant theme in Indian government thinking and utterances on nuclear security issues [[ii]].

International initiatives over the past fifty years have failed to end the global nuclear double standard [[iii]]. Not only is global nuclear disarmament a distant dream, the effects of rampant nuclear proliferation activities in past three decades are simply alarming [[iv]]. Such factors create a difficult environment for making an overt political choice on the issue of nuclear weapons.  The complicated nature of these choices was the driving force behind India’s strident utterances on global nuclear disarmament [[v],[vi]].

Against this backdrop the need to maintain a degree of autonomy in decision-making on matters of nuclear security becomes paramount.  A core of scientific and technological expertise is necessary to preserve this autonomy. Herein lays the ambit of the national security initiatives at the Department of Atomic Energy.  Through a regime of tireless indigenous effort, the Department of Atomic Energy seeks to inculcate the spirit of scientific and technological endeavor. Only such a spirit will empower the minds and arms of India’s future generations [[vii]]. In the words of Dr. R. Narasimha [[viii]],

The various names  that  have  been  coined  by  Western  analysts  at  various  times  to  describe  India’s policies of the time are, in this view, no more than temporary labels for a central policy that has always been the same;  namely one of  seeking,  preserving  and  protecting  the country’s strategic space and autonomy at the lowest possible cost.

The belief in the goal of global nuclear disarmament reflects the national consensus on nuclear issues in India. This consensus is not easily beguiled by vague promises of nuclear armed states nor does it live in ignorance or indifference to the security realities of our time.

Research and Development

"India must become strong. The greatest advantage of recognized strength is that you don't have to use it."

- R. Chidambaram [[ix]]

As alluded to earlier in the piece, the difficult decision to seek an indigenous nuclear option falls outside the realm of responsibility of the Department of Atomic Energy. The Department may contribute to the process of choice through technical consultations, but the final decision in these matters has always been that of the Prime Minister of India [[x]]. The Department of Atomic Energy for its part fosters a range of activities capable of supporting a wide menu of choices in this regard. Throughout the history of independent India, Prime Ministers have devoted considerable amounts of time to making choices in this regard and on two occasions Prime Ministers have chosen an overt display of India’s nuclear prowess. In both these cases the Government of India chose to openly test the products of research activity at Department of Atomic Energy institutions.

On May 18^th 1974 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi instructed the Department of Atomic Energy to conduct a Peaceful Nuclear Explosion (PNE) at Pokhran [[xi]]. Scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), the flagship of the Department of Atomic Energy, collaborated with a team from the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and carried out a single test at the Khetolai Testing Range in Pokhran. BARC teams were also responsible for measuring the yield of the device. The yield measured at 12 Kilotons [[xii]]. On May 11^th 1998 Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee instructed the Department of Atomic Energy to conduct a series of nuclear tests at Pokhran to validate a number of designs currently under research at its facilities [[xiii]]. The rationale behind these tests was to achieve a posture of Credible Minimum Deterrence against nuclear threat or aggression [[xiv]]. BARC and DRDO teams once again assembled the devices and instrumentation necessary for the tests. The tests were highly successful. A summary of the devices tested is given below [[xv],[xvi]]  

The yields were established through seismic measurement [[xvii]] and through the radiochemical analysis [[xviii]]. A yield estimate from crater phenomenology is also available in the public domain [[xix]]. The successful test of the 45 kT thermonuclear device has opened the door to higher yields. In the words of Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Chairman Department of Atomic Energy [[xx]],

“So far as thermo-nuclear technology is concerned, there is no doubt that we have the full range of  capabilities.”

Nuclear Safety and Security

The Department of Atomic Energy is also responsible for matters pertaining to the safety and security of nuclear installations and nuclear materials. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board maintains surveillance over nuclear installations in the country and provides periodic reports about technical and procedural changes needed to enhance safety at these installations. These reports and recommendations are made directly to the Atomic Energy Commission, the nodal body for all Department of Atomic Energy activity [[xxi]]. The Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), a subsidiary of the Department of Atomic Energy is also the sole supplier of radio-isotopes in India and it maintains a list of people purchasing radioactive materials in the country [[xxii]]. The Department is also responsible for the disposal of radioactive wastes and maintains a number of waste disposal facilities and immobilization sites [[xxiii],[xxiv]].  Research units at the BARC facility like the Radiation Safety Systems Division are responsible for producing radiation monitoring devices. Other units like Health Physics and Advisory Division are responsible for radiation monitoring activities. The Atomic Minerals Directorate [[xxv]] of the Department of Atomic Energy is responsible for controlling exploration and mining of radioactive minerals in India. The directorate also has technology development resources and a wide range of radiological surveillance assets at its disposal [[xxvi]]. 

The Department of Atomic Energy is the nodal body for all radiological emergencies in India. The DAE has hosted several national and international seminars and training schools on dealing with radiological emergencies. Over the past two decades the Department of Atomic Energy has developed an Emergency Response System (ERS) to deal with on-site and off-site radiological emergencies. All DAE sites have emergency management plans and procedures. These plans and procedures are periodically tested. The core of the ERS is the Crisis Management Group. The group functions with the assistance of two Emergency Control Rooms and coordinates with the National Crisis Management Committee and the local crisis response team [[xxvii]]. Currently a plan to build a dedicated Nuclear-Biological-Chemical (NBC) disaster response team at the national level is gaining ground. The Central Industrial Security Force has been identified as the nodal body for this effort [[xxviii]]. Given its long standing relationship with nuclear materials security and safety, it is natural to assume that the DAE will play a major role in shaping this new force.

Partners in Defense

The Department of Atomic Energy is an active member of the defense research and development community. In addition to working with DRDO in the testing of nuclear devices, the Department of Atomic Energy also participates in the development of products necessary for various national security agencies. Most of the Department’s contribution however is limited to research type activity, the bulk of the operational development work falls to the end user.

A brief glance at the Department of Atomic Energy websites shows the following:

Light Combat Aircraft Project: A DAE sub-unit participated in the development of the Multi-Mode Radar platform for the Light Combat Aircraft project [[xxix]].  Another sub-unit of the DAE was involved in the development of heat shrinkable shape memory alloy tubes for the project [[xxx]].

Navigation Systems: A DAE subsidiary was involved in the development of a fiber optic gyroscope system for use in land vehicles [[xxxi]].

Defense Industrial Systems: A number of DAE groups have participated in the building custom machines for defense industrial applications [[xxxii]].

Measurement Systems: A group at BARC was involved in developing a laser based projectile measurement system for a DRDO laboratory [[xxxiii]].

Some public domain information sources also suggest that the Department of Atomic Energy may be working the following projects:

Advanced Technology Vessel: This project is the name allegedly given to a collaborative effort between the Indian Navy and the Department of Atomic Energy. The objective of this effort is to produce technology for use in a nuclear powered submarine [[xxxiv]]. Neither the Department of Atomic Energy, nor the Ministry of Defense has offered any comments on this issue.

High Power Microwave Systems: A group at BARC has built an injection source for an electron accelerator [[xxxv]]. This development has created much excitement in the press and rumors abound that the Kilo Ampere Linear Injector (KALI) could someday be used in a High Power Microwave gun [[xxxvi]]. The accuracy of these reports is unknown.

International Treaties and Agreements

India is a party to several international multilateral and bilateral agreements on nuclear issues. Some of the more important ones are:

The International Atomic Energy Agency Statute [[xxxvii]]: The International Atomic Energy Agency was setup in 1957 to monitor and manage the spread of nuclear technology across the world. India was a signatory to the IAEA Statute at the UN General Assembly. The DAE routinely deputes personnel to the IAEA for various projects. India has signed a number of protocols and treaties with the IAEA and IAEA member states, particularly a number of IAEA safeguards are in place for bilateral nuclear transfers to India [[xxxviii]]. The DAE is also part of a Regional Cooperation Agreement with the IAEA and provides nuclear safety assistance to several countries [[xxxix]]. The Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) [[xl]] prohibits the use atmospheric, underwater, or space based testing of nuclear explosives. India has signed this treaty. The DAE is the nodal body for all interactions with the IAEA.

Nuclear Agreements and Confidence Building Measures: The Draft Nuclear Doctrine [[xli]] states:

“In view of the very high destructive potential of nuclear weapons, appropriate nuclear risk reduction and confidence building measures shall be sought, negotiated and instituted." 

This is a persistent theme in Indian thinking on nuclear issues. As a result of this, there are a number of nuclear security agreements and confidence building measures in place between India and Pakistan. The measures enhance crisis stability and provide a degree of transparency in the nuclear arena. A very important agreement between India and Pakistan is the Bilateral Agreement on Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities [[xlii]] which was signed in 1988. Per this agreement India and Pakistan exchange a list of nuclear facilities each year. This practice has continued even in period adverse relations between the two countries. Another issue was raised in the Lahore Declaration and the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 1999. This declaration pertained to measures that would be put in place to reduce the possibility of an accidental or unauthorized use of nuclear weapons. The declaration also calls for the introduction of communication channels that would reduce the possibility of misinterpretation of incidents at places on the nuclear facilities list [[xliii]]. Currently another round of discussions is underway on more nuclear related confidence building measures [[xliv]]. In all these discussions, the DAE representatives provide technical advice and consultation.

Conclusion 

Over the last fifty years the Department of Atomic Energy has strived to build a capacity to meet India’s demands in the field of nuclear science. The corps of professionals generated by this effort today fleshes out India’s nuclear muscle. Despite international pressure and technology denial regimes, the output of DAE institutions supports a wide range of security postures and has made the country self-reliant in most areas of nuclear technology. The Department of Atomic Energy remains committed to this approach in the foreseeable future.

To quote a retired officer of the Govt. of India [[xliv]]:

In the ages to come our children will grow up in an India that is very different from  we have grown up in; a safer and stronger India, and a good measure of such a fair future we shall owe to the unnamed men and women of the Department of Atomic Energy. 

References