Credible minimum deterrence
Topic: India's External Relations, 1947-1999: Non-alignment, Wars and Nuclear Policy · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "India's External Relations"
Meaning
Credible minimum deterrence is a core idea of India's nuclear doctrine (its official plan for nuclear weapons). Deterrence means stopping an enemy from attacking by making sure the attack would be punished. "Minimum" means India keeps only enough weapons to do this. It does not join an arms race. "Credible" means the enemy must believe the punishment will really come. It goes with India's promise of no first use.
Example
After the Pokhran-II tests (11 and 13 May 1998), India set out this idea in its draft doctrine of August 1999 and the CCS statement of 4 January 2003. Civilian leaders control the weapons through the Nuclear Command Authority.
Don't confuse with
- No first use: this is the separate promise that India will use nuclear weapons only to hit back after a nuclear attack (or a major biological or chemical attack). Credible minimum deterrence is about how many weapons India keeps.
Related concepts
- India's nuclear policy
- Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
- Pokhran-I
- Nuclear Suppliers Group
- Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
- Pokhran-II
- No first use