SAND 2004-2832 

Unlimited Release 

June 2004 

A Missile Stability Regime 

for South Asia 

Brigadier Feroz Hassan Khan 

Pakistan Army (Retd) 

Islamabad, Pakistan 

with 

Gaurav Rajen 

Gaia Research Consulting 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 

 

Michael Vannoni 

Sandia National Laboratories 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 

Cooperative Monitoring Center Occasional Paper/35 

Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by 

Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, 

for the United States Department of Energy's 

National Nuclear Security Administration 

under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

4 

The Cooperative Monitoring Center (CMC) at Sandia National Laboratories assists political and 

technical experts from around the world to acquire the technology-based tools they need to assess, 

design, analyze, and implement nonproliferation, arms control, and other cooperative security 

measures. As part of its mission, the CMC sponsors research on cooperative security and the role 

of technology. Reports of that work are provided through the Occasional Papers series. Research 

is conducted by Sandia staff, international technical experts, and visiting scholars. (The CMC’s 

Visiting Scholars Program is administered by the Institute for Public Policy at the University of 

New Mexico.) For additional information on the CMC’s programs, visit the CMC home page on 

the World Wide Web at <http://www.cmc.sandia.gov> or write to: 

Cooperative Monitoring Center 

Sandia National Laboratories 

PO Box 5800 

Mail Stop 1373 

Albuquerque, NM 87185-1373 

For specific information on this report contact: 

Michael Vannoni at the above address. 

This report was prepared by Sandia National Laboratories 

Albuquerque, NM 87185 and Livermore, CA 94550 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

5

A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia

Abstract 

India and Pakistan have created sizeable ballistic missile forces and are continuing 

to develop and enlarge them. These forces can be both stabilizing (e.g., providing a 

survivable force for deterrence) and destabilizing (e.g., creating strategic asymmetries). 

Missile forces will be a factor in bilateral relations for the foreseeable future, so restraint is 

necessary to curtail their destabilizing effects. Such restraint, however, must develop 

within an atmosphere of low trust. This report presents a set of political and operational 

options, both unilateral and bilateral, that decreases tensions, helps rebuild the bilateral 

relationship, and prepares the ground for future steps in structural arms control. Significant 

steps, which build on precedents and do not require extensive cooperation, are possible 

despite strained relations. The approach is made up of three distinct phases: 1) tension 

reduction measures, 2) confidence building measures, and 3) arms control agreements. The 

goal of the first phase is to initiate unilateral steps that are substantive and decrease 

tensions, establish missiles as a security topic for bilateral discussion, and set precedents 

for limited bilateral cooperation. The second phase would build confidence by expanding 

current bilateral security agreements, formalizing bilateral understandings, and beginning 

discussion of monitoring procedures. The third phase could include bilateral agreements 

limiting some characteristics of national missile forces including the cooperative 

incorporation of monitoring and verification. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

6 

Acknowledgements 

The authors gratefully acknowledge many perceptive comments from, stimulating 

discussions with, and considerable editorial assistance by Michael Vannoni, Principal 

Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories. Without his unsparing and 

able assistance, this paper would certainly have had much less merit than it does now. 

Preliminary ideas for this paper emerged from a conference and project of the second 

Henry L. Stimson Center “Escalation Control Workshop” (Woodstock, UK; May 21 - 23, 

2003) in which Feroz Khan made the presentation "Missile as Factor on Escalation 

Control.” Extremely valuable in this regard were inputs and guidance from Michael 

Krepon, Peter Lavoy and Chris Clary from the US; General V.P. Malik, Lt. Gen. V.R. 

Raghavan, Rear Admiral Raja Menon and Rahul Roy Chaudhry from India; and General 

Jehangir Karamat, Lt. Gen. Saeed-uz Zafar and Prof Zafar Iqbal Cheema and Maria Sultan, 

PhD Candidate at University of Bradford, UK from Pakistan. 

The principal author, Feroz H. Khan, also had frequent discussions with Scott Sagan 

(Stanford University), Stephen Cohen (The Brookings Institution), Robert Hathaway and 

Robert Litwak (both of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars), Leonard 

Specter and Larry Scheinman (both of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the 

Monterey Institute of International Studies), Rodney Jones (Policy Architects 

International) and Neil Joeck (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) whose valuable 

comments helped this study remain in focus. Similarly, discussions with Brigadier Naeem 

Salik and Group Captain Khalid Banuri of Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Directorate during 

their visits to the USA provided useful inputs. Earlier studies done at the CMC on the 

subject of missiles in South Asia by Kent Biringer and Arvind Kumar also helped guide 

our approach. 

Finally, we are grateful to Adriane Littlefield for her very able editorial assistance, as well 

as Stephanie Sustaita and Patricia Dickens of the CMC for their enthusiastic and 

exceedingly helpful administrative support. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

7

Acronyms 

CBM Confidence Building Measure 

CEP Circular Error Probable 

DGMO Director-General of Military Operations 

EMP Electromagnetic Pulse 

GPS Global Positioning System 

ICBM Intercontinental Ballistic Missile 

IGMDP Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (India) 

INF Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty 

IRBM Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile 

MOU Memorandum of Understanding 

MRBM Medium Range Ballistic Missile 

MTCR Missile Technology Control Regime 

NRRC Nuclear Risk Reduction Center 

NTM National Technical Means 

OSCE Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe 

RPV Remotely Piloted Vehicles 

SLBM Submarine-launched Ballistic Missiles 

TEL Transporter Erector Launcher 

WMD Weapon of Mass Destruction 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

8 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................8

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................9

1. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT...........................................................................................................13

1.1. PROBLEM STATEMENT ..........................................................................................................................14

1.2. GOALS OF THE STUDY ...........................................................................................................................14

2. MISSILES IN SOUTH ASIA .......................................................................................................................15

2.1. DEFINITION OF MISSILES.......................................................................................................................15

2.2. THE EVOLUTION OF THE INDIAN AND PAKISTANI MISSILE PROGRAMS .................................................15

2.3. OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR MISSILES....................................................................................18

2.3.1. Missile Operations in India and Pakistan................................................................................22

2.3.2. Nuclear Linkages .....................................................................................................................23

3. STABILITY/INSTABILITY RESULTING FROM MISSILES...............................................................25

3.1. STABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY ...........................................................................................................25

3.2. STABILITY FACTORS IN SOUTH ASIAN MISSILE DEPLOYMENT..............................................................26

3.2.1. Time of Flight...........................................................................................................................26

3.2.2. Range .......................................................................................................................................27

3.2.3. Pre-launch Survivability ..........................................................................................................28

3.2.4. Accuracy...................................................................................................................................29

3.2.5. Autonomy after Launch ............................................................................................................30

3.2.6. Response Time..........................................................................................................................30

3.2.7. Ambiguity about the Type of Warhead.....................................................................................31

3.2.8. Stability Features of Various Missile Characteristics in South Asia .......................................31

4. THE WAY FORWARD................................................................................................................................33

4.1. INDO-PAK COOPERATION AND THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT ..............................................................33

4.2. A PHASED APPROACH ...........................................................................................................................34

5. LIGHTING THE WAY ................................................................................................................................35

5.1. PHASE 1 – TENSION REDUCING UNILATERAL AND BILATERAL MEASURES...........................................35

5.1.1. Unilateral Measures.................................................................................................................35

5.1.2. Bilateral Measures...................................................................................................................37

5.2. PHASE 2 – CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES .....................................................................................37

5.3. PHASE 3 – STRUCTURAL ARMS CONTROL .............................................................................................40

6. CONCLUSIONS............................................................................................................................................42

ABOUT THE AUTHORS .........................................................................................................................................43

DISTRIBUTION........................................................................................................................................................44
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

9

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

South Asia is a region at risk. India and Pakistan are strategic competitors who 

became overt nuclear powers in 1998. Some analysts opined that nuclear weapons would 

bring stability through mutual deterrence. Despite periods of optimism, tensions between 

Pakistan and India remain high and the last five years have been among the most difficult 

since independence. In parallel with their nuclear programs, India and Pakistan both 

established ballistic missile programs. Both countries now have militarily significant 

missile forces and continue to develop and expand them. The pairing of missiles with 

nuclear warheads can be both stabilizing (e.g., providing a survivable force for deterrence) 

and destabilizing (e.g., creating strategic asymmetries). It is the readiness postures, 

doctrine, the command/control structures, the types and numbers of weapons, delivery 

vehicles, and defenses available that determine the overall effect on stability. 

Missiles and nuclear weapons are not going to go away from South Asia in the 

foreseeable future. Their presence must thus be managed in a way that does not add to their 

destabilizing features while preserving the elements of deterrence. Thus, restraint is 

necessary to reduce the risks resulting from the India-Pakistan missile competition. 

Restraint can be achieved through an incremental process beginning with tension reducing 

measures, moving on to confidence building measures, and eventually concluding in arms 

control agreements. 

The purpose of this study is to investigate how India and Pakistan could structure 

their missile programs to increase stability and avoid damaging the existing state of 

deterrence. Steps to increase stability should support the concept of minimum credible 

deterrence advocated by both countries. There are a number of actions that can improve 

current conditions and head off future problems. 

To provide the context for the conceptual missile restraint regime, the report 

reviews the Pakistani and Indian missile programs dating back to 1983 and notes their 

linkage with political and security events that occurred in South Asia over the last two 

decades. Missile systems have assumed special significance in both countries because they 

are used as instruments of both strategy and diplomacy. Missiles are displayed prominently 

in national parades and flight tests are timed for political purposes. These actions are aimed 

at impressing multiple audiences: the adversary is expected to be deterred, the domestic 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

10 

audience – that views missiles as symbols of pride and prestige – is placated with messages 

of resolve, and outside powers are induced to focus on the region and possibly intervene 

and diffuse crises. 

The study assesses missile operations relative to the role of intelligence, command 

and control, and the geophysical conditions in South Asia. Seven key characteristics of 

missiles (short time of flight, range, pre-launch survivability, accuracy, autonomy after 

launch, response time, and ambiguity about the type of warhead) are assessed within the 

context of South Asia to determine whether they are inherently stabilizing or destabilizing. 

The answer to the problems of stability identified in the analysis lies in greater yet 

controlled transparency. The United Nations defines transparency as “the systematic 

provision of information about specific aspects of military activities under formal or 

informal international arrangements.” Transparency can be unilateral or bilateral, and 

governments do not typically ratify transparency agreements. Sometimes it is in a state’s 

best interest to act unilaterally to avoid misinterpretation of intent. In practice, there is a 

role for both transparency and opacity in missile threat perception reduction. Choosing not

to share certain information can enhance stability. 

Within the context of the increasing linkage of missiles with power projection and 

as deterrent forces, this report defines elements of a conceptual missile restraint regime for 

India and Pakistan. Recognizing that India-Pakistan relations are poor, a phased approach 

to the evolution of a missile restraint regime is proposed: (1) tension reduction measures, 

(2) confidence building measures, and (3) arms control agreements. This process could 

eventually evolve into broader agreements on arms control and reductions with favorable 

political conditions. The process includes both unilateral and bilateral actions that 

contribute to rebuilding bilateral relationships, increasing confidence and preparing the 

ground for structural arms control if favorable conditions occur. 

The conceptual regime seeks to reduce the key sources of instability by: 

• Decreasing the overall perception of threats created by missile development and 

deployment 

• Removing the ambiguity created by missiles capable of delivering both 

conventional and nuclear warheads 

• Decreasing the risk of unintentional conflict 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

11

• Increasing the time for communication and consultation during a crisis 

• Avoiding a missile race by capping the ability to develop new classes of missiles 

while maintaining the existing capability for deterrence. 

The goal of the first phase, tension reduction measures, is to make missiles a 

security topic for bilateral discussion, initiate unilateral steps to decrease tensions, and set a 

precedent for bilateral cooperation: 

• Exercise restraint in official statements and displays of missiles 

• Reinvigorate existing agreements on notifications of military exercises 

• Declare no use of artillery rockets across the Line of Control 

• Declare that nuclear warheads are not routinely mated to missiles 

• Agree not to conduct flight tests during crises 

• Continue and reinforce the practice of advance announcement of missile tests 

• Initiate cooperation in international treaties and organizations 

• Initiate official military-to-military contacts. 

The second phase, confidence building measures, would expand transparency 

measures, formalize bilateral understandings, and begin discussion and experimentation 

with monitoring procedures for limitations on missile-related activity: 

• Developing joint delegations to various international bodies 

• Declare elements of the national missile command and control structure 

• Invite observers to missile tests, and military exercises 

• Bilaterally declare that the Hatf-1 and Prithvi-1 are non-nuclear systems 

• Establish Risk Reduction Centers at the National Command Authorities 

• Establish new consultative lines of communication between command authorities 

• Formalize a bilateral missile test notification agreement 

• Initiate additional military-to-military contacts. 

The third phase, arms control agreements, could include bilateral agreements to 

increase communications, limit missile-related activity, or remove some aspect of national 

missile forces, with the cooperative incorporation of monitoring and verification: 

• Limit the number and frequencies of missile tests 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

12 

• Bilaterally declare that no missile garrisons will be located within a specified 

distance from the border 

• Establish an agreement defining missiles with 150 to 250 km range as non-nuclear 

systems (specifically the Hatf-2 and Prithvi-2). 

• Establish an agreement to eliminate short-range ballistic missiles with less than 150 

km range (specifically the Hatf-1 and Prithvi-1).

• Establish a bilateral nuclear test ban.

The Indian and Pakistani missile programs have significantly altered threat 

perceptions in South Asia. Although ballistic missile forces support the goal of credible 

deterrence, each country’s reactions to the perceived threats posed by the other could 

engender actions that are destabilizing. The remedy for this instability lies in mutual 

restraint in missile-related activities facilitated by selective transparency. There are a 

number of procedural and technical options - both unilateral and cooperative - that can 

maintain the stabilizing aspects of deterrence while reducing destabilizing effects. These 

options should be integrated into a system, or regime, to gain the maximum benefits for 

stability. Public confidence in these initiatives is important. Public confidence drives 

politics, which, in turn, defines the acceptability of cooperation. The benefit of strategic 

stability needs to be made clear to the respective publics. The political and operational 

process of building a restraint regime can evolve over time as confidence and experience 

increase. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

13

A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

1. Introduction and Context 

South Asia is a region at risk. India and Pakistan are strategic competitors with a 

history of threat making and conducting provocative military exercises. They became overt 

nuclear powers in 1998. India has ambitions of becoming a global power, and maintains 

one of the largest standing armies in the world, along with a blue water navy and a 

sophisticated air force. Pakistan views India as its primary threat and has developed 

sizeable military forces to achieve a rough parity with its larger neighbor. 

Missiles with increasing sophistication are being introduced to the region at the 

same time that nuclear weapons are being developed and produced. In South Asia, missile 

systems have assumed special significance because they are used as instruments of both 

strategy and diplomacy. Missiles are displayed publicly in defense exhibitions and national 

parades. Such tactics are aimed at impressing multiple audiences: the adversary is expected 

to be deterred; the domestic audience – that views missiles as symbols of pride and 

prestige – is placated with messages of resolve; and outside powers are induced to focus on 

the region and possibly intervene and diffuse crises. 

The combination of missiles and nuclear warheads can be either stabilizing or 

destabilizing to the region. It is the readiness postures, the command and control structures, 

the types and numbers of weapons, delivery vehicles, and defenses available that will 

determine the overall effect. Thus, restraint is necessary to achieve stability and reduce the 

risks resulting from unbridled India-Pakistan missile competition. Restraint can be 

introduced and stability achieved through an incremental process passing through tension 

reducing measures, confidence building measures, and eventually concluding in arms 

control agreements. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how India and Pakistan 

could structure their missile programs to increase stability and avoid damaging the existing 

state of deterrence. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

14 

1.1. Problem Statement 

It is impossible to expect that missiles will disappear soon from the South Asian 

stage – both India and Pakistan have invested considerable resources in missile 

development and procurement, and have inducted various missile systems into their 

militaries. Missiles have become symbols of national pride. The risk is that either side may 

misunderstand missile-related activities. It is important; therefore, that India and Pakistan 

initiate and develop a missile restraint regime that manages the respective missile programs 

in a manner that promotes stability. 

1.2. Goals of the Study 

This paper examines whether missile development and induction in South Asia 

improves or worsens regional stability. Within this context, the paper goes on to define 

elements of a conceptual missile restraint regime for India and Pakistan. Although steps 

toward reconciliation have recently occurred, India-Pakistan relations have a long way to 

go to achieve full normalization.1

 Consequently, an incremental approach to the evolution 

of a missile restraint regime is proposed. The process could eventually evolve into broader 

agreements on arms control and reductions with favorable political conditions. This paper 

will hopefully be complementary to the restarted India-Pakistan security dialog. 

 

1

 In late 2003, ambassadors were reappointed to each country, transit links reopened, and a ceasefire 

established along the Line of Control in Kashmir. The two heads of state met at the SAARC regional summit 

in Islamabad in January 2004 and pledged to restart dialogue with the intent of reconciliation. In February 

2004, structural dialog restarted. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

15

2. Missiles in South Asia 

To frame this analysis, the Indian and Pakistani missile programs are reviewed and 

operational factors in South Asia assessed in this section. 

2.1. Definition of Missiles 

In general, a rocket is a self-propelled cylinder using liquid or solid fuel. In modern 

military terminology, a rocket is an unguided weapon. The mission of military rockets is 

similar to that of artillery, except they are used at longer ranges (usually less than 75 km). 

A missile, in the military context, is a rocket with a guidance system that adjusts its flight 

path to the target after launch. 

Military missiles fall into two major categories: ballistic and cruise. Ballistic 

missiles have an initial powered boost phase followed by supersonic free flight along a 

high, arcing trajectory. This trajectory is the ballistic trajectory of a hurled object. 

Guidance occurs during the boost phase and, in more advanced systems, during the reentry phase. The term "cruise missile" refers to unmanned, automatically guided, selfpropelled air-breathing vehicles that sustain flight through the use of aerodynamic lift. 

Missiles can also be categorized by virtue of their points of launching and impact, type of 

propulsive system, and guidance system. 

This paper focuses on surface-to-surface ballistic missiles because they have been 

integrated into the military forces of India and Pakistan and play the greatest strategic role. 

Cruise missiles, however, are under development in both countries and will become a 

factor in the strategic balance in the future. 

2.2. The Evolution of the Indian and Pakistani Missile Programs 

Although both India and Pakistan have maintained civilian space programs since 

the 1960’s, it was not until India began the Integrated Guided Missile Development 

Program (IGMDP) in 1983 that the missile race began in earnest. India began with a 

modest technological base. By skillfully deriving technologies from the existing civilian 

space program and combining them with reverse engineering of missile hardware from 

Russia and elsewhere, India developed the Agni and Prithvi missiles. The short range 

Prithvi (first tested in 1986) was derived from Russian-supplied surface to air missiles (the 

SA-2), and the medium range Agni (first tested in 1989) was partly based on the US Scout 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

16 

and Russian SA-2.2

 India now has a significant technical base and an ambitious military 

missile program. In addition, it has a world-class civilian space program. The development 

of intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) is on track and most analysts conclude 

that India could develop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) if it chose. 

Juxtaposed within this matrix of Indian missile development, were some disturbing 

crises in the mid-eighties. The serial South Asian crises began with India’s decision to 

occupy the undemarcated Siachen Glacier in 1984. This operation was conducted amidst 

ongoing tensions over the Sikh Crisis in the Indian State of Punjab, bordering Pakistan. 

Two years later, India conducted the ambitious Brasstacks military exercise that created 

tensions in India and Pakistan, which escalated close to war. In each of these two crises, 

India has been accused of planning a pre-emptive strike against Kahuta, Pakistan’s 

uranium enrichment facility.3 The plans were obviously rejected. By 1990, as the Cold 

War ended and the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, Kashmir witnessed a renewed 

freedom struggle and a major uprising that continues to date. India accuses Pakistan of 

fueling this uprising with financial and material support. The uprising came about under a 

new global and regional environment. After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, the 

US-Pakistan partnership also ended. The first manifestation of this change was the 

imposition of sanctions by the US (the Pressler Amendment) based on alleged uranium 

enrichment. The sanctions halted the delivery of previously purchased F-16 aircraft. 

At the time, aircraft were the only long-range weapons delivery means for both 

countries. Pakistan thus found itself caught in a difficult situation. While its nuclear 

capability was the ultimate guarantor of deterrence, the F-16 was to be the main Pakistani 

delivery system to enable some sort of balance with India. The US refusal to deliver 

additional F-16s was a major blow for Pakistan’s quest for balance. In fact, the air force 

imbalance widened as India continued to purchase state-of-the-art aircraft from Russia and 

France. It was then that Pakistan contemplated seeking a matching response in ballistic 

 

2

 Rodney Jones, Mark McDonough, Toby Dalton, and Gregory Koblentz, Tracking Nuclear Proliferation: A 

Guide in Maps and Charts, (Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for Peace, 1998) p.127-129. 3 See reports in Times of India , News Service, September 17 and 18 , 1984 and Indian Express, New Delhi 

September 19, 1984 Scott Sagan “The Perils of Proliferation,” CISAC Stanford University workshop on 

“Preventing War in South Asia,” Bangkok, August 2001. Raj Chengappa, Weapons for Peace: The Secret 

Story of India’s Quest to be a Nuclear Power, (New Delhi: Harper Collins Publishers, 2000) pp 322-323. 

Also See Abdul Sattar “Reducing Nuclear Dangers in South Asia: A Pakistani Perspective”, NonProliferation Review, Winter 1995, p. 42. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

17

missiles. The US embargo of the F-16s thus helped drive the Pakistani missile program. 

The missile program, along with nuclear weapon development, became a top national 

security priority for Pakistan. 

Pakistan faced two major problems: a limited indigenous technology base and the 

Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). At the time, Pakistan’s technology base for 

missile development was even more limited than India. The soft technology (organization, 

management, technical staff) was not the problem. The deficiencies were in the realm of 

hard technology (reentry vehicles, guidance systems, engines, and launch platforms).4 

Like the nuclear program, Pakistan was a late starter in the missile program and faced the 

same non-proliferation barriers. India’s lead in missiles and its strategy to “indigenize” the 

technology by reverse engineering and expanding its indigenous technical base could not 

be easily matched by Pakistan. Pakistan’s indigenous industrial base was much smaller but 

its security requirements were urgent, and thus the prime objective was to redress security 

concerns promptly. Unlike India, there was a time premium to develop missiles quickly 

and also create a strong technical base before the window of opportunity for obtaining 

technical expertise and hardware transfers closed. 

The second factor was that Pakistan’s quest for acquisition of missile technology 

met with stiff resistance from the MTCR. With the bulk of western suppliers in the MTCR, 

Pakistan reached out on two paths for both liquid fuel and solid fuel propulsion systems. In 

the early 1990s, the only remaining and willing suppliers were in North Korea and China, 

respectively, for these two propulsion systems. Thus, Pakistan’s liquid and solid fuel 

missile acquisition was achieved in a race to beat the closing iron grip of the MTCR. By 

combining various available technologies such as French Centaure sounding rockets and 

Soviet Scuds, Pakistan was able to produce the Hatf-1 and Hatf-2 missiles in the initial 

phases. Later, reverse engineering of M-series missiles from China and No-dong 

technology from North Korea enabled Pakistan to develop a sufficient missile 

technological base independent of MTCR limitations. 

Pakistan was constrained in its flight tests for two reasons. First, Pakistan had to 

avoid MTCR sanctions as much as it could, not just for itself but also to save 

 

4

 Aaron Karp, Ballistic Missile Proliferation: The Politics and Techniques (New York: Oxford University 

Press, 1996), pp. 51-146. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

18 

embarrassment to its principal ally China. Second, it had remained under constant 

diplomatic pressure from the United States government to exercise self-restraint. Since the 

early 1990’s the US had been applying unilateral pressure on Pakistan to undertake “selfrestraint measures,” which, defined in practical terms, asked for five major steps: 1) do not 

conduct live tests; 2) prohibit field training; 3) do not co-locate key missile components in 

a single area; 4) do not mate warheads and launch vehicles; and 5) and do not store key 

elements of missile hardware within operational range of targets in India. 

Given that developments across the border in India were unhindered, it was 

obviously not possible for Pakistan to agree to such unilateral measures. To placate US 

nonproliferation concerns, Pakistan proposed a “Zero Missile” regime in South Asia, but 

India refused. The US, however, continued to put pressure on Pakistan, while tacitly 

looking for ways to grandfather technology transfers if Pakistan agreed to refrain from 

public displays and flight tests. Pakistan’s missile development was thus conducted 

weighing the trade-off between diplomatic costs and developmental imperatives. 

Although they followed quite different routes to missile system acquisition, both 

India and Pakistan now have quite mature missile development, testing and manufacturing 

infrastructures. The key issues remaining relate to the management and operation of their 

missile systems. 

2.3. Operational Considerations for Missiles 

Operational considerations in South Asia for missile deployments are different 

from those that prevailed during the Cold War. There is, however, an interesting parallel in 

that the US and the Soviet Union (and now Russia) had differing states of alert for their 

strategic nuclear forces depending on the severity of a crisis, much as is the case for India 

and Pakistan. Neither the US nor the Russians normally kept all their nuclear forces in the 

highest states of alert. The state of alert changed with security conditions. The US twice 

brought nuclear weapons and their delivery systems to a heightened state of alert during 

the Cold War. The US strategic alert scale goes from Defense Condition (DefCon)-4 

(normal peacetime) to DefCon-1 (war imminent). During the Cuban Crisis (1962) and the 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

19

Arab-Israeli War (1973), the state of alert was reportedly increased to DefCon-3; that 

defines that “troops are on standby to await further orders.”5 

During the Kargil Crisis of 1999 and the Compound Crises of 2001-2002, Indian 

and Pakistani conventional forces were mobilized and put on the highest state of alert.6

There is no evidence, however, of an increased alert status or deployment of nuclear 

weapons in the manner that happened in Cold War crises. Missiles and weapon 

components, however, may have been moved to different locations for defensive reasons. 

Conducting defensive measures is analogous to the actions taken during “Orange Threat 

Level” terrorism alerts in the US.7 Precautionary security measures are taken when a state 

of national vulnerability is deemed present. 

Threat perceptions are driven by probabilities and consequences of events and 

responses may be based on worse case scenarios. In 1998, immediately after the nuclear 

tests by India, concern mounted in Pakistan that India might carry out a preventative strike 

at Pakistani nuclear installations. Pakistan took defensive measures as a result, creating the 

perception in the US that Pakistan was “reacting to false alarms” and creating instability. 

Fortunately, neither side construed these defensive measures involving the movement of 

nuclear forces or their enhanced defense as an escalatory move. Will this hold true in the 

next India-Pakistan crisis? 

Official statements by India and Pakistan about the deployment status of their 

nuclear weapons are infrequent but occasionally provide some insight.8

 The draft (1999) 

Indian Nuclear Doctrine implies that nuclear weapons are not normally kept ready for use 

and that their readiness is increased during a crisis or conflict: “The doctrine envisages 

assured capability to shift from peacetime deployment to fully employable forces in the 

 

5

 Bruce Blair “Alerting in Crisis and Conventional War” in Ashton Carter, John Steinbrunner and Charles A 

Zraket eds., Managing Nuclear Operations (Washington DC, Brookings) pp 75-120. 6

 The December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament led to a massive military mobilization (including naval 

deployments) by India and Pakistan and a confrontation along their borders. The two countries came 

perilously close to war when a second attack occurred in May 2002 at Kaluchak, Kashmir. 7

 “Orange Alert” refers to heightened security risk as defined by the US Department of Homeland Security in 

the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. 

8

 An extensive discussion of this issue, with numerous references from the open literature and based on 

interview with Indian officials is contained in Ashley Tellis’s India’s Emerging Nuclear Posture: Between 

Recessed Deterrent and Ready Arsenal (2001, New Delhi: Oxford University Press). 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

20 

shortest possible time....”9

 When asked by The Hindu newspaper on November 29, 1999 if 

it was correct to conclude that India follows different peace-time and war-time deployment 

postures, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh replied: “This would be a correct 

assessment. You know that we would like to convey a sense of assurance in our region, 

also beyond so that our deployment posture is not perceived as de-stabilising. We have 

rejected notions of 'launch on warning postures' that lead to maintaining hair trigger alerts, 

thus increasing the risks of unauthorized launch.”10

Pakistan has not declared a nuclear doctrine but statements imply a similar 

approach. The Pakistani Foreign Secretary formally proposed the non-mating of nuclear 

weapons and delivery systems in a speech at the plenary of the Conference on 

Disarmament on January 25, 2001.11

As a result of statements like these, analysts commonly assume Indian and 

Pakistani nuclear deployment to be in a “recessed” form. A recessed deployment status 

means that warheads are stored separately from delivery systems and that the warheads are 

stored as disassembled components. However, as a crisis develops, the readiness posture of 

nuclear weapons is expected to progressively change, moving through stages of increasing 

alert until a nuclear-armed delivery system reaches a ready-to-use state. Because the 

nuclear force is progressively reconstituted, both the location of warhead components and 

delivery systems and their proximity to each other are important. During the Cold War, the 

evolution of a crisis did not affect the deployment status of nuclear weapons as 

significantly. 

The process of reconstitution raises questions about the risks associated with the 

changing deployment status of nuclear weapons during an unfolding crisis and their effect 

on stability. Many analysts believe a strategy of recessed deterrence is inherently 

stabilizing. Such a strategy actually entails some risks that are potentially destabilizing. 

When the recessed components of a nuclear deterrent force are brought into a more active 

readiness state, in a short time frame there is an increased risk of misperceptions and 

accidents. Furthermore, nuclear weapons and their delivery systems are vulnerable to 

 

9

 Section 3.2, Draft Indian Nuclear Doctrine, Indian of Ministry of External Affairs website: 

www.meadev.nic.in/govt/indnucld.htm. 

10 Indian Government Ministry of External Affairs website: www.meadev.nic.in/govt/eamint-nov28.htm. 

11 Naeem Ahmad Salik, “Missile Issues in South Asia,” The Nonproliferation Review, Summer 2002, 

Volume 9, Number 2, pp. 47 - 48. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

21

conventional or nuclear counterforce strikes when in a recessed posture. Missiles or 

warheads would be prime targets of the opposing air force or special operations forces 

during a war. Conventional strikes could also threaten the command and control structure 

that is necessary for the reconstitution of a nuclear force. If a limited conventional war 

were to occur, strikes against nuclear assets might occur inadvertently during attacks on 

other targets. Given India’s geographic and military advantages, Pakistan, in particular, 

may perceive itself to be vulnerable. Thus, a recessed status could be stabilizing with 

respect to safety and control but destabilizing in the sense that it might encourage a 

preemptive strike. 

The establishment of deterrence in South Asia is complicated by a strategy of 

recessed nuclear deployment. Effective deterrence actually requires some transparency 

regarding the nuclear force’s operational capability and survivability. With a force in a 

peacetime state of recessed deterrence, transparency measures to establish deterrence need 

to be carefully defined so as not to create vulnerabilities that degrade crisis stability. Crisis 

stability is a situation in which neither side believes that it can gain an advantage by 

initiating a preemptive strike.12 Recessed nuclear deployment also complicates operational 

doctrine. The goal of crisis stability (to have a survivable deterrent through a dispersed 

force structure) is in some conflict with the goal of operational preparedness (to have a 

tightly controlled force structure). 

In the five years since overt nuclearization, tensions have increased in South Asia. 

Crises have not disappeared – in fact, they have occurred with disquieting regularity. If 

India and Pakistan are to effectively work through issues of stability associated with crises, 

diplomatic efforts must commence to contain a future crisis. Communication links, crisis 

prevention centers, and third parties can facilitate these efforts. The hotline connecting the 

Directors-General of Military Operations (DGMOs) is helpful in routine clarification and 

may help prevent an impending crisis.13 This confidence building measure, however, is not 

designed to defuse an unfolding crisis. For that, unambiguous communication must occur 

at the highest possible levels of leadership. 

 

12 This definition has been developed by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of 

International Studies (Monterey, CA). 

13 Under the Hotline Agreement, the DGMOs talk for approximately 30 minutes every Tuesday at a predesignated time. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

22 

2.3.1. Missile Operations in India and Pakistan 

Some of the operational conditions that may cause instability with regard to missile 

force operations are as follows: 

Absence of Timely Intelligence. Missile movement is a potential source of escalation. 

The command system requires timely and accurate information. At present, the 

capacity to collect this information is limited. India and Pakistan rely on remotely 

piloted vehicles (RPVs), human and electronic intelligence. In the absence of 

comprehensive and accurate intelligence, there is a significant chance that an adversary 

will misread passive dispersal and initiate its own deployment as a result. During a 

crisis, India and Pakistan could enter into a spiral of escalation. One side could 

interpret the defensive moves by the other as threatening. Steps taken to counter the 

perceived threat would be matched in turn by the other, resulting in further escalation. 

During a condition of heightened tensions, the intelligence organizations in both 

countries will likely have a tendency to report the first indications of activity even if 

not confirmed. 

The Dilemma of Control. Wide and flexible dispersal is within the capability of both 

countries, but if exercised, it will underscore the problem of control. Dispersal of 

missiles during a crisis is understandable within the context of preserving survivability. 

The foremost dilemma facing the command authority will be retaining centralized 

control. Assertive negative control14 is desirable for stability but will undermine the 

effectiveness of the missile system to rapidly respond if required. Pre-delegation, on 

the other hand, will increase the risk of inadvertence.15 The command system will thus 

be under extreme stress if dispersal or deployment ever takes place. The principal 

decision-making problem is how to make an optimum trade-off between battle 

effectiveness and safety. The evolving national command systems will have to find an 

answer to this problem, which was not easily solved in the Cold war. 

 

14 Peter Feaver, “Command and Control in Emerging Nuclear Nations.” International Security 17:3:160-187 

(Winter 1992-1993). 

15 Barry Posen, Inadvertent Escalation: Conventional War and Nuclear Risks (Ithaca, NY: Cornell 

University Press 1999). 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

23

Harsh Geophysical Conditions. Both countries have sufficient territorial space and 

variety of terrain for dispersal and concealment. However, the road network is not well 

developed in both countries. Conditions for mobility are harsh and compounded by 

generally hostile weather. Physical security must be maintained. There are multiple 

modes for missile deployment each having its own unique problems of safety in 

movement. The variety of missiles available may further compound the safety issues of 

mating them with the warhead – both conventional and nuclear. 

2.3.2. Nuclear Linkages 

Greater instability results when the potential operational problems of missiles just 

described are linked with the deployment of nuclear weapons. At least four major 

considerations will play into decisions by India and Pakistan to undertake nuclear 

deployment. 

Political and Technical Control. The imperative for political control is critical and 

deployment will pose a major control challenge. To ensure survivability, there will be a 

tendency to deploy a large rather than a small proportion of the national nuclear 

arsenal. The command and control requirements are fundamentally the same for any 

number of deployed nuclear weapons. As Sir Michael Quinlan points out, 

“...requirements do not, however, decrease proportionally with size; it is not to be 

supposed that a small nuclear force does not need sophisticated control – indeed, small 

size may entail a potential vulnerability that heightens demands.”16 Dispersal may 

involve different configurations ranging from prepared nuclear weapons integrated 

with their delivery means to separated nuclear weapon components moving 

independently from delivery systems. 

Pressure on the command system to pre-delegate authority will rise as a crisis 

spirals. The political release to fire nuclear weapons could be technically controlled by 

incorporating permissive action links (PALs) in weapons. A PAL is a coded switch that 

controls the arming of the weapon. PALs require the entry of a code in order to open 

 

16Michael Quinlan, “How Robust is India-Pakistan Deterrence?” Survival, Volume 42, Number 4, Winter 

2000-01, p. 148. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

24 

circuits that arm the weapon.17 Even if PALs are used, the decision to delegate 

authority and release warheads to military units in the field will be excruciatingly 

difficult for both India and Pakistan.18

Communication Problems. The essence of command and control is to have several layers 

of redundant communication to ensure effective assertive control. The absence of 

assured redundancy and secure communication will remain a prime concern. 

Overcoming electronic jamming in a conventional war, and electromagnetic pulse 

(EMP) effects in the event of outbreak of a nuclear war, will be other critical needs. 

Need for Physical Security. The possibility of nuclear weapons being stolen is remote, as 

multiple tiers of security will always be present, but concerns about safety and security 

will certainly grow during deployment. Deployment will increase the importance of 

physical control by the command system even if use control systems such as PALs are 

incorporated. 

International Opprobrium. India and Pakistan will face international opprobrium if they 

opt to deploy nuclear weapons. Although the international community may have 

reluctantly accepted their possession of nuclear weapons, the transition to operational 

deployments will likely lead to sanctions and isolation. This factor is unique to South 

Asia and constrains the implementation of deterrence strategies by Pakistan and India. 

For example, during the Kargil conflict, reports that both countries had activated and 

deployed their nuclear missile forces triggered intense international pressure on both 

countries. National actions, such as signaling, that play a role in deterrence strategy 

may thus be constrained by international pressure. In contrast, offensive conventional 

force deployments do not seem to engender the same level of concern in the 

international community. 

 

17 Thomas Cochran, William Arkin and Milton Hoenig, US Nuclear Forces and Capabilities. (Cambridge, 

Massachusetts: Ballinger Publishing Company, 1984). 

18 Paul Bracken has defined two levels of control. He refers to political control for statecraft and strategy and 

provincial control for efficient use of the armed forces. See Managing Nuclear Operations, pp 354-356. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

25

3. Stability/Instability Resulting From Missiles 

3.1. Stability and transparency 

The United Nations defines transparency as “the systematic provision of 

information about specific aspects of military activities under formal or informal 

international arrangements.”19 Transparency can be unilateral, bilateral or multilateral, and 

governments do not typically ratify transparency agreements. Sometimes it is in a state’s 

best interest to act unilaterally to avoid misinterpretation of intent. In practice, there is a 

role for both transparency and opacity in missile threat perception reduction. Choosing not

to share certain information can enhance stability. Such information includes system 

deployment locations, system vulnerabilities, and performance capabilities. 

The answer to the problems highlighted in Section 2.0 lies in greater and controlled 

transparency. Selected transparency in missile-related activities can increase stability by 

increasing confidence in both sides. Actions to increase military transparency have 

historically been used to build confidence between adversaries and sometimes to build the 

foundation for subsequent arms control agreements. 

When defining transparency actions for missiles, a matrix of potential information 

sharing actions and stability/instability impacts needs to be assessed. Figure 1 shows 

examples of actions that fit the quadrants of a stability/transparency matrix.20 The 

destabilizing examples emphasize asymmetries in capabilities and failure to reveal 

important information that could lead to misinterpretation. The stabilizing examples show 

actions intended to avoid misinterpretation and to minimize vulnerabilities of critical 

assets. 

 

19 United Nations Experts Group, Study on Ways and Means of Promoting Transparency in International 

Transfers of Conventional Arms, Report to the Secretary General, UN Document A/46/301, Sept. 9, 1991. 20 Kent Biringer “Missile Threat Reduction and Monitoring in South Asia”, The Stability- Instability 

Paradox: Nuclear Weapons and Brinkmanship in South Asia, Michael Krepon and Chris Cagne, ed., Henry 

L. Stimson Center Report No 38, June 2001, p 59. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

26 

DEMONSTRATE 

EXPANDED MISSILE 

RANGE AND 

PAYLOAD 

CAPABILITIES 

(promotes arms race)

PROVIDE MISSILE TEST 

LAUNCH 

NOTIFICATION 

(avoids misinterpretation) 

TRANSPARENT 

NO CONSULTATIONS 

ON MISSILE ALERT 

STATUS DURING 

CONVENTIONAL 

ARMED CONFLICT 

(risks misinterpretation) 

WITHHOLD A LIST OF 

WARHEAD STORAGE 

LOCATIONS 

(minimizes vulnerabilities) 

OPAQUE 

DESTABILIZING STABILIZING 

Figure 1: Example of a Stability/Transparency Matrix 

Generally, transparency leads to greater stability when the following criteria are 

achieved as a result of providing information: 

• Increased symmetry of forces and/or capabilities 

• Increased warning time or reduced likelihood of preemption success 

• Reduced likelihood of misinterpretation of intent 

• Reduced vulnerabilities for either side. 

3.2. Stability Factors in South Asian Missile Deployment 

To apply the stability matrix approach to South Asia, seven significant 

characteristics of ballistic missiles are analyzed for their stabilizing or destabilizing effects. 

This analysis is based on the associated level and effects of a chosen characteristic – that 

is, what is the effect on stability of the missile characteristic if it increases or decreases? 

3.2.1. Time of Flight 

Ballistic missiles are the fastest means to deliver a warhead to a target at long 

range. In a matter of a few minutes, a missile can travel hundreds of kilometers. In the 

South Asian context, missile flight times will generally be under ten minutes. Since 

geography is fixed, flight times only change as the targets and launch points change. There 

is some potential for relatively long-range missiles to be used against short-range targets 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

27

by flying in a depressed trajectory mode and decrease the typical time of flight by 2 or 3 

minutes.21 Such use of long-range missiles assumes the country is willing to reduce a longrange missile’s survivability by moving it close to its target, and to forgo the use of a 

scarce military asset against distant strategic targets. Because geography and the physics of 

flight are fixed, the effect of flight time is neutral. Flight time will always be short and the 

use of a technique like depressed flight trajectory makes a relatively small difference. The 

fact that flight times are short does, however, encourage a defending country to 

contemplate a more ready response posture (discussed in Section 3.2.6) that could include 

plans for a counter-launch under attack, or a preemptive attack on indication of an 

impending missile attack. 

3.2.2. Range 

Short-range missiles are much simpler to develop and cheaper to build than 

missiles of medium or intercontinental range. A long-range missile requires more powerful 

engines; a stronger, lighter structure; a more precise guidance system; and more protection 

against aerodynamic heating than does a short-range missile. Mere extrapolation of shortrange rocket technologies is not sufficient. 

The ranges of Indian and Pakistani missiles are currently sufficient to cover all the 

significant high value targets of each country (approximately 1500 – 2500 km). The ranges 

are also sufficient that each country can be assured of a wide enough dispersal of its 

missiles to make them secure against a preemptive strike. Future developments, therefore, 

will probably focus on payload, accuracy, and development of naval platforms. In the 

Indian and Pakistani dyad, therefore, increasing range has medium positive effect on 

stability. 

What is not clear, however, is whether further increases in range will cause 

instability. India may seek to increase the range of its missiles to be able to strike deeper 

into China. This may cause China to focus greater attention on India’s missile forces, and 

target them more aggressively. This may lead to greater numbers of Indian missiles, with a 

corresponding cascading effect on Pakistan’s missile forces. 

 

21 M. V. Ramana, R. Rajaraman, Z. Mian; Nuclear Early Warning Issues in South Asia: Problems and Issues, 

EPW Special Series, January 17, 2004. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

28 

3.2.3. Pre-launch Survivability 

Missiles can be made difficult to destroy before launch. The US and the Soviet 

Union protected their ICBMs by installing them in hardened underground silos or by 

deploying them as submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Other options include 

basing them in caves or tunnels. Transporter-erector-launchers (TELs) can be used for all 

but the largest missiles and constitute small, hard-to-find, mobile targets. The most 

common basing option for regional ballistic missile forces is the TEL. TELs are cheaper 

than fixed silos and, as was shown in the 1991 Gulf War, quite survivable. Liquid-fuel 

mobile systems typically require larger support convoys and preparation time, which 

increase their vulnerability to detection and counter-attack.22 Both India and Pakistan have 

road-mobile launchers and India has built rail-mobile launchers for its Agni missiles. 

Figure 2 illustrates that the survivability of a dispersed mobile missile force is quite 

high. Overall deterrence is maintained even if the opponent’s weapons have a high 

probability of finding and destroying any single launcher in the dispersed force. The figure 

graphs the probability of destroying all the missiles in various sizes of a dispersed force 

versus various probabilities of destruction of a single launcher.23 The probability of 

destroying a large proportion of the total number of launchers in all but very small force 

sizes is quite small. 

The conclusion of this analysis is that deployed Indian and Pakistani missile forces 

are survivable. Consequently, neither is likely to be tempted to conduct a preemptive strike 

that will disable its enemy. Nor is either country likely to feel that it must launch its own 

forces on first indications of attack because it fears losing them. Therefore, crisis stability 

appears to be well established between India and Pakistan with each having a sufficient 

number of missiles to prevent an adversary from destroying them all (or even from 

destroying a sufficient number so the attacker’s own damage would be lessened). Thus 

increased pre-launch survivability strongly increases stability. 

 

22 Z. Mian, A.H. Nayyar, M.V Ramama; “Bringing Prithvi Down to Earth: The Capabilities and Potential 

Effectiveness of India’s Prithvi Missile,” Science and Global Security, Vol. 7, 3, (1998) pp. 333-360. 23 These results are based on the mathematical analysis that if the probability of finding and destroying a 

single launcher is p, then the probability of finding and destroying N launchers is pN. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

29

Probability of destruction of all launchers versus number of 

launchers and probability "p" of finding and destroying any one 

launcher - p = 0.1, 0.5, 0.9

-0.1

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

N, number of launchers

Pn, probability of destructiion 

of all launchers

p = 0.1 p = 0.5 p = 0.9

Figure 2: Probability of destruction of all launchers as a function of the number of 

launchers and probability of finding and destroying any one launcher 

3.2.4. Accuracy 

Circular error probable (CEP), the most common statistical measure of missile 

accuracy, is the radius of a circle within which 50 percent of the missiles aimed at the 

center of the circle will strike. Missiles currently in the stockpiles of regional powers 

typically have CEPs in the range of 300 to 1000 m. Thus, warheads with relatively large 

effects radii, such as WMD, are needed to achieve a significant probability of destroying a 

target. Missiles with low accuracy armed with conventional weapons have limited utility. 

They can, however, can be used as terror weapons to demoralize civilian populations as 

Iraq did in its war with Iran during in the 1980s. 

Advances in guidance technology, including the use of the Global Positioning 

System (GPS), may reduce CEPs to less than 100 m. Should this occur, the effectiveness 

of conventional warheads against unhardened tactical military targets (e.g., supply dumps) 

would be greatly increased. Lower yield nuclear weapons (with less collateral damage) 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

30 

might also be contemplated. Increasing accuracy, therefore, creates new target options for 

a medium destabilizing effect. 

3.2.5. Autonomy after Launch 

Once launched, missiles are fully autonomous and cannot be recalled or diverted. 

The lack of control once a missile is launched means that the reliability of the command 

and control system is crucial. In contrast, there are cases of manned aircraft being recalled 

or diverted to other targets in flight. During periods of tension, an unauthorized or 

accidental launch might precipitate a conflict. Such a launch is quite unlikely however. The 

combination of autonomy with the potential for an accidental or unauthorized launch has a 

weak negative effect on stability. 

3.2.6. Response Time 

Given that missile flight times are always short (see Section 3.2.1), warning times 

are less, due to the time required for sensors to detect and identify an attacking missile. 

Response times are further reduced by the delay in communicating information to decision 

makers, assessing information, making decisions, and finally giving orders on how to 

respond. A strategic response might be to adopt a launch-on-warning posture. Missiles can 

be kept in various stages of readiness. They may be kept ready for firing within minutes, 

although continual maintenance must be performed. The risk with this strategy is that a 

country may respond prematurely as a result of not having time to fully assess the warning 

information received. During the Cold War, a number of incidents involved accidents and 

misinterpretations related to nuclear weapons and delivery systems. 

India has declared a policy of assured yet delayed response modeled on China’s 

approach. Pakistan’s policy is more ambiguous but probably similar. Both strategies 

probably reflect the nations’ relatively rudimentary command and control systems. Given 

missile flight times, decreasing response times to the level where it makes a difference 

would require a massive restructuring of command and control systems. It may not be 

technically feasible to achieve this goal. The requirement for the highest reliability would 

place extreme stress on the systems. Furthermore, the deployment strategy for missiles 

would have to be completely restructured resulting in a continuing armed and ready-tolaunch status with commensurate requirements for reliability and safety. Consequently, a 

launch-on-warning strategy would be destabilizing. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

31

3.2.7. Ambiguity about the Type of Warhead 

Government statements frequently describe a missile system as “nuclear-capable.” 

This has resulted in the perception that ballistic missiles in the inventories of India and 

Pakistan have both conventional and nuclear warheads. Even if this is not the reality, the 

assumption on the receiving end will likely be that “any missile launched against it must be 

carrying a nuclear warhead.”24 Aircraft have been used in a conventional role on South 

Asian battlefields historically while ballistic missiles have never been used in any role. 

Thus aircraft, even if capable of carrying a nuclear warhead (such as a Jaguar or F-16), do 

not carry the same danger of misperception once detected. Ambiguity regarding the nature 

of the warhead is exacerbated by the operational requirement for opaqueness regarding the 

number and location of missiles. Short-range, conventionally armed ballistic missiles could 

quite conceivably be used within the context of a limited war doctrine.25 A dual nuclearconventional capable system is therefore quite destabilizing because the opposing 

command systems will likely have little reliable information about its mission or nature of 

its warhead. Therefore, ambiguity about the type of a missile warhead strongly decreases 

stability. 

3.2.8. Stability Features of Various Missile Characteristics in South Asia 

Figure 3 presents a graphical summary of stability effects of the seven 

characteristics of missiles for South Asia. The direction of the arrow indicates whether a 

characteristic is stabilizing or destabilizing and the length indicates the relative extent to 

which it causes that effect. The lengths of the arrows are intended to be purely qualitative, 

signifying a strong, medium, or weak effect. 

 

24 Naeem Ahmad Salik, “Missile Issues in South Asia,” The Nonproliferation Review, Summer 2002, 

Volume 9, Number 2, pp. 47-48. 

25 Several analysts have written about the concept of limited war. See V. R. Raghavan, “Limited War and 

Nuclear Escalation in South Asia,” The Nonproliferation Review, Fall-Winter 2001, pp. 82-98. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

32 

Figure 3: A qualitative comparison of the stabilizing/ destabilizing effects of various 

missile characteristics in South Asia 

Stability 

Instability 

Time of flight

Range 

of 

missiles 

Pre-launch 

survivability 

Increasing 

Accuracy 

Autonomy 

after launch 

Decreasing 

Response 

time 

Warhead 

ambiguity 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

33

4. The Way Forward 

4.1. Indo-Pak Cooperation and the Current Environment 

Decreasing threat perceptions associated with missiles and decreasing the resultant 

incentives for an arms race in South Asia are daunting goals. Tensions between Pakistan 

and India have generally been high, and the last five years have been among the most 

difficult since independence. Recent events have raised trust back to the level where 

bilateral discussions are possible (the bilateral process effectively stopped after the Kargil 

conflict). 

Missiles and nuclear weapons are not going to go away from South Asia in the 

foreseeable future. Their presence must thus be managed in a way that does not add to their 

destabilizing features while preserving the elements of deterrence. The purpose of the 

conceptual restraint regime presented in the following sections is to: 

• Decrease the overall perception of threats created by missile development, 

induction, and deployment 

• Remove the ambiguity created by missiles capable of delivering both conventional 

and nuclear warheads 

• Decrease the risk of an unintentional exchange of missiles 

• Increase the time for communication and consultation during a crisis 

• Avoid a missile race by capping the ability to develop new classes of missiles while 

maintaining the existing capability for deterrence. 

The following sections describe a set of options, both unilateral and bilateral, that 

could contribute to rebuilding the India-Pakistan relationship and prepare the ground for 

subsequent steps in structural arms control. The purpose of this report is to stimulate 

thinking and constructive discussion about what kinds of initial steps towards restraint 

might be taken in South Asia. Current bilateral relations are not yet ready to accept 

cooperative forms of technical monitoring. Consequently, many of the initial steps in the 

following conceptual regime are declaratory and unilateral. Some have features that can be 

verified by ongoing national intelligence activities. All have the potential to expand into 

bilateral cooperative actions. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

34 

4.2. A Phased Approach 

Recognizing the difficulty in rebuilding India-Pakistan relations, we have 

attempted to craft a phased approach made up of three distinct phases. 

Phase 1: Tension Reduction Measures 

Given that relations have been poor in the recent past, a series of unilateral and 

bilateral measures are proposed to reduce tensions and reinforce recent moves toward a 

constructive bilateral dialogue. Several bilateral military-to-military initiatives are also 

proposed. 

Phase 2: Confidence Building Measures 

Once relations have begun to normalize, the process of confidence building should 

begin. This phase formalizes bilateral understandings developed in Phase 1. 

Phase 3: Arms Control 

When confidence increases to the point where credible security commitments can 

be made, arms control agreements should be negotiated. 

In the next section, details of how such a phased approach could be implemented 

are presented. The options are intended to be mutually reinforcing. Although all options 

contribute to the establishment of a stabilization regime, benefits can still be derived from 

a regime that selectively incorporates these concepts. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

35

5. Lighting the Way 

5.1. Phase 1 – Tension Reducing Unilateral and Bilateral Measures 

The first phase would consist of measures that are designed to be tension reducing, 

politically acceptable and operationally simple to implement. All measures, whether 

unilateral or bilateral, would be in the self-interest of the party undertaking them. 

5.1.1. Unilateral Measures 

The list of measures presented here is not meant to be exhaustive. Rather, we seek 

to illustrate the types of measures that could form a part of this phase. 

• Exercise restraint in public statements and displays of missiles. Official statements 

boast of the power of the nation’s missiles and imply that the government is ready 

to use them. These actions contribute to unrealistic public expectations about the 

national ability to use missiles that could make defusing a crisis problematic. 

Official statements should be carefully worded to inform rather than threaten (e.g., 

name a targeted country). Missile displays should be restricted to military facilities. 

National Day parades should not emphasize missiles as exceptional weapons.26

• Reinvigorate existing agreements on notifications of military exercises. Existing 

agreements on notifications of military exercises, frozen for several years, should 

be reaffirmed and restarted. The existing agreements are, by definition, bilateral but 

restarting their implementation could be unilateral. For example, one country could 

unilaterally make its declarations under the agreement even if the other did not 

respond at the same time. A unilateral step hopefully, would lead to reciprocity at 

some time and eventually a full bilateral resumption of the agreement. 

• Declare no use of artillery rockets across the Line of Control in Kashmir or the 

Actual Ground Position Line in the Siachen Glacier. Both India and Pakistan 

possess unguided artillery rockets whose range (typically 50 km) exceeds that of 

conventional artillery (typically 20 km). The use of artillery rockets raises the risk 

they might be mistaken for a ballistic missile launch and thus escalate a conflict. 

Disavowing their use would reinforce the ceasefire declared in November 2003. 

 

26 Some missile monuments in Islamabad were taken down for a regional summit of South Asian leaders in 

January 2004. This unilateral step by the host was seen by many observers as tension reduction step which 

augured well for making the atmosphere conducive for the momentous event 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

36 

• Declare that no nuclear warheads are routinely mated to missiles. An official 

declaration to this effect would decrease tensions by reducing ambiguity. 

• Agree not to conduct flight tests during crises. Although ballistic missile flighttests are essential to validate technical designs, both India and Pakistan have 

created a process in which the timing of missile tests and related actions is used as 

an instrument of strategy. In the Compound Crises of 2001-2002, missile flighttests and accompanying rhetoric were used as tools to send political signals of 

strategic deterrence and resolve.27 This process was disparagingly termed as 

“missile antics” by an Indian official spokesperson, although India has responded 

in a tit-for-tat fashion to Pakistan’s missile tests.28

• Continue and reinforce the practice of advance announcement of missile tests.

Announcements of missile tests have been made informally after the Lahore 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The notification process is somewhat ad 

hoc without a clearly established prior notification period. India and Pakistan 

typically provide 2 to 3 days notice – an increase to 7 days notice will help to 

decouple tests from political events and still provide flexibility for technical 

development. Each side would be better prepared to observe and track the other’s 

tests when they occur, eliminating the possibility of hostile misperception, and 

providing limited transparency about missile capabilities. If a test were cancelled 

for technical reasons, that announcement would also be a confidence building 

measure. In a parallel move, each side should declare their missile test sites. The 

culture of security associated with missile development may resist declarations 

about test sites. However, the other side learns this information after a test so there 

is no substantive change in the status quo. The declaration would remove 

ambiguity, and lead to better observation of each other’s tests. These steps could be 

initiated unilaterally, and later converted into a formal bilateral measure. 

 

27 The December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament led to a massive military mobilization by India 

(matched by Pakistan) and a confrontation along their borders, including naval deployments, that came 

perilously close to war when a second attack occurred in May 2002 at Kaluchak, Kashmir. 28 India’s External Ministry spokeswoman said in a televised statement on May 28, 2002 that “India was not 

impressed with such missile antics by Pakistan.” 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

37

5.1.2. Bilateral Measures 

• Institutionalize a forum to review and improve the implementation of existing 

CBMs. This forum should be established first at the bilateral level. It could be 

constituted with the assistance of interested third parties ready to support CBMs. 

• Strengthen existing agreements on notifications of military exercises. Existing 

agreements on notifications of military exercises could be strengthened by reducing 

the force levels at which notifications are needed, as well as increasing the distance 

from the border at which troop movements need to be identified. Notifications of 

ballistic missile units participating in military exercises could be an important 

component of enhanced agreements. 

• Increase cooperation in international treaties and organizations. India and 

Pakistan should cooperate in the implementation of international treaties to which 

they are both parties. They should also cooperate in the development of new global 

norms in the Conference on Disarmament. 

• Initiate official military-to-military contacts. Military-to-military measures that 

would facilitate mutual understanding. Although these options are not directly 

related to missiles, increased contacts between the militaries would build 

experience in bilateral relations that facilitates future bilateral security discussions. 

• Initiate joint training for search and rescue or anti-piracy missions. International 

agreements provide a framework for such cooperation. 

• Encourage out-of-region joint peacekeeping. There are precedents for Indian 

and Pakistani cooperation in Somalia and Sierra Leone. 

• Encourage joint participation in foreign military schools. Such interaction 

already occurs informally under unplanned circumstances. 

5.2. Phase 2 – Confidence Building Measures 

The aim of the second phase of the proposed process is to establish strategic 

restraint. Starting from agreements and understandings reached at the summits in Lahore in 

1999 and Agra in 2001, and with an increase in civility brought about by previous tension 

reducing measures, this phase will seek to reinforce, develop, and formalize the unilateral 

and bilateral measures instituted previously. 

Actions taken in this phase could involve the following. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

38 

• Developing joint delegations to various international bodies. Joint delegations 

could be sent as observers to international bodies with oversight of arms control 

agreements, such as the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). 

• Declare some elements of the national missile command and control structure. The 

lack of knowledge by one side of the other’s missile command and control structure 

increases concerns about unauthorized or accidental launches. The Lahore 

Declaration recognized this risk.29 This topic obviously contains sensitive national 

security information but some declarations can still be made. An example of such 

limited transparency could be the establishment and announcement of a personnel 

reliability program for missile and nuclear weapon crews. 

• Formalize a bilateral missile test notification agreement. Unilateral declarations on 

missile test flights and test sites from Phase 1 should be formalized into a bilateral 

agreement. The Lahore MOU called for, but did not create, a formal mechanism 

requiring advance test notification.30

• Invite observers to missile tests or military exercises. These observers could be 

from third countries, media, and/or from the other country. The observers would 

increase transparency regarding capabilities and thereby enhance stability. The 

concept of inviting observers may be controversial. However, visitors from friendly 

countries are currently invited to observe tests and national media televises tests for 

later broadcast. Concern about exchanging observers will center on the potential 

loss of national security information and risk of loss of national prestige if a test 

fails. Neither of these concerns is sufficiently significant to block an exchange. 

There is a large body of experience from international inspections in how to 

conduct on-site inspections such that unrelated sensitive information is not 

compromised. A test that fails catastrophically will be obvious to national technical 

means (NTM) systems so the presence of observers will not change perceptions. 

 

29 It stated: “The respective governments ... shall take immediate steps for reducing the risk of accidental or 

unauthorized use of nuclear weapons and discuss concepts and doctrines with a view to elaborating measures 

for confidence building in the nuclear and conventional fields, aimed at the prevention of conflict.” 

30 The text states: “The two sides undertake to provide each other with advance notification in respect of 

ballistic missile flight tests, and shall conclude a bilateral agreement in this regard.” 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

39

• Bilaterally declare that missiles with less than 150 km range are non-nuclear 

systems. Short-range missiles have primarily tactical, war-fighting applications. 

Official government statements have described a “nuclear capability” for these 

missiles. There is much ambiguity about whether nuclear weapons actually exist 

for these systems and, if so, whether there are plans to use them in both 

conventional and nuclear roles. Consequently, the movement of any missile of this 

type for any reason becomes provocative. If a conventional conflict does break out, 

the use of these systems in a conventional role could be mistaken for nuclear 

operations. Eliminating ambiguity about the type of warhead carried by these 

missiles would be a stabilizing measure. This option would set a precedent by 

declaring that the shortest range ballistic missiles in each national force (the 

Pakistani Hatf-1 and the Indian Prithvi-1) are non-nuclear. These missiles have 

limited potential as nuclear delivery systems because of their short range. 

• Establish new consultative lines of communication between command authorities 

The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) hotline has functioned for 

some time. This hotline is somewhat limited in regard to potential activities of 

concern conducted by missile and air forces. This option is intended to increase 

transparency in activities that might be perceived as threatening. New hotlines 

could also be established between Air Force and Navy DGMOs. This cooperation 

implies that officials are always willing to communicate during an emergency. 

• Establish “Risk Reduction Centers” at the National Command Authorities. The US 

and the USSR created Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers (NRRCs) to facilitate 

communication and implement arms control and security agreements. India and 

Pakistan could establish a similar institution modified to account for South Asian 

conditions.31 The Centers would serve as a tangible way to build mutual trust and 

reassurance and prevent misperceptions. 

 

31 This author has proposed the establishment of “New Communication Mechanism” in a separate initiative 

by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to be published in 2004. For a similar proposal 

see Colonel Rafi uz Zaman Khan, “Pakistan and India: Can NRRCs Help Strengthen Peace?” Occasional 

Paper No. 49 (Washington DC: Stimson Center, 2002). 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

40 

• Initiate additional military-to-military contacts. There are several areas where 

military-to-military contacts could be undertaken. Such interactions could also 

include personnel from civilian defense organizations. 

• Coordinate responses in hijacking, piracy, smuggling or other border incidents. 

• Cooperation in non-sensitive military-related technical topics such as the 

disposal of hazardous chemicals or obsolete munitions. 

5.3. Phase 3 – Structural Arms Control 

Once confidence has been increased, arms control agreements could be sought. 

Arms control regimes could involve placing operational restraints on missile forces or 

reducing numbers of weapons systems. Potential arms control agreements include the 

following. 

• Limit the number and frequencies of missile tests. The missile test notification 

agreement proposed in Phase 2 could evolve into an arms control agreement by 

limiting certain test activities. New developmental systems require more frequent 

tests. A limit would serve to slow or cap development of new, potentially 

destabilizing systems, while enabling each side to maintain the safety and 

reliability of their existing missile forces. A missile test limitation agreement 

(including sea-launched types) could include some or all the following features: 

o Declare national test sites and restrict testing activity to these locations 

o Declare annual plan for testing and limited numbers of tests 

o Limit test frequency 

o Limit flight direction and/or range. 

• Declare or establish an agreement that no missile garrisons will be located within 

a specified distance from the border. This declaration would prevent battlefield 

short-range missiles from being placed in a high-alert status. Missiles are normally 

stored and maintained in garrisons. By keeping missiles a significant distance (e.g., 

75-100 km) from the border relative to their range, missiles will be unable to 

launch in place and have to move to firing sites closer to their targets. This adds 

stabilizing delay to a crisis. Verification might be conducted unilaterally using 

national intelligence systems, however inspection visits to declared garrisons by 

national representatives, third parties, or international media could be conducted as 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

41

well. The successful Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the 

US and USSR contains useful precedents for inspections. 

• Establish a bilateral agreement to declare missiles with ranges between 150 and 

250 km range as non-nuclear systems. The bilateral declarations made in Phase 2 

regarding the non-nuclear status of specific short-range missiles should be 

formalized into an agreement and expanded to systems with up to 250 km range. 

This would include the Pakistani Hatf-2 and the Indian Prithvi-2. 

• Establish an agreement to eliminate ballistic missiles with less than 150 km range.

Once short-range missiles have been assigned a solely conventional role, the 

elimination of the shortest range systems should be considered. The conventional 

efficacy of such systems is limited as they have fairly large CEPs. Elimination 

could be verified using monitoring techniques from the INF and START Treaties.

• Establish a bilateral nuclear test ban. New or improved missiles will likely require 

different warhead capabilities (e.g., yield, physical size, weight). Achieving these 

capabilities is significantly easier if nuclear tests are conducted. Both India and 

Pakistan have been observing an informal nuclear test moratorium. This 

moratorium was cited in the Lahore MOU.32 A bilateral agreement would be 

independent of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and does not imply a 

change in national positions on that treaty. A bilateral test ban would preserve the 

two nations’ existing nuclear deterrent while decreasing the potential for an 

expensive missile and nuclear arms race. Verification of the test ban can be 

conducted by remote seismic and radiochemical monitoring from locations within 

the respective national territories. The two countries could share nationally 

collected seismic and geophysical data. An additional measure, that would have 

significant potential as a confidence building measure, is to permit each side to 

establish seismic monitoring stations within the territory of the other. These seismic 

stations, not be located in or even near national nuclear test sites, would serve to 

confirm measurements made from outside the country. 

 

32 The text states: “The two sides shall continue to abide by their respective unilateral moratorium on 

conducting further nuclear test explosions unless either side, in exercise of its national sovereignty decides 

that extraordinary events have jeopardized its supreme interests.” 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

42 

6. Conclusions 

Missiles are now a fact of life in the security dynamic between India and Pakistan. 

Their entry into the subcontinent is a result of the chronic political and military conflict 

since independence. While serving a useful role as a stabilizing nuclear and conventional 

deterrent to aggression, they also have destabilizing effects such as being a tool for public 

propaganda, stimulating an arms race, raising concerns about plans for pre-emptive strikes, 

blurring the distinction between conventional and nuclear weapons, and risking escalation 

as a result of loss of control during a conflict. There are a number of actions, however, that 

can improve current conditions and head off future problems. 

The remedy for this instability lies in mutual restraint for missile-related activities 

facilitated by selective transparency. This paper has presented a conceptual restraint regime 

for India and Pakistan that assumes a low initial level of confidence and evolves over time. 

Significant early steps are possible that build on precedents and do not require extensive 

cooperation. The initial goal of the regime is to make missiles a security topic for bilateral 

discussion, initiate unilateral steps that are substantive and build confidence, and set the 

precedent for limited bilateral cooperation. A mid-term phase could expand transparency 

measures, formalize bilateral understandings, and begin discussion and experimentation 

with monitoring procedures. A long-term phase could include bilateral agreements limiting 

or reducing some characteristics of national missile forces with the cooperative 

incorporation of monitoring and verification. 

The steps presented to increase stability support the concept of minimum credible 

deterrence advocated by both countries. In order to be most effective, the options presented 

should be integrated into a system, or regime, for stability. Public confidence in these 

initiatives is important. Public confidence drives politics, which, in turn, defines the 

acceptability of cooperation. The benefit of strategic stability needs to be made clear to the 

respective publics. The process of building a restraint regime of stability can evolve over 

time as confidence and experience increase. 
A Missile Stability Regime for South Asia 

43

About the Authors 

Brigadier General (retired) Feroz Khan served with the Pakistani Army for 30 years. He 

served domestically and abroad with numerous assignments in the United States, Europe, 

and South Asia. He has experienced combat action and command on active fronts on the 

Line of Control in Siachin Glacier and Kashmir. He held the post of Director, Arms 

Control and Disarmament Affairs, within the Strategic Plans Division, Joint Services 

Headquarters till 2001. Among his academic degrees, he holds a M.A. from the Nitze 

School of Advanced International Studies. 

Since the mid 1990’s he has been making key contributions in formulating and 

advocating Pakistan’s security policy on nuclear and conventional arms control and 

strategic stability and restraint in South Asia. He has produced recommendations for the 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and represented Pakistan in several multilateral and bilateral 

arms control negotiations. He has written and participated in several security related 

national and international conferences and seminars and has also been teaching as a 

visiting faculty at the Department of the Defense and Strategic Studies, Quaid-e-Azam 

University, Islamabad. 

He has held a series of visiting fellowships at Stanford University’s Center for 

International Studies and Arms Control, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for 

Scholars, the Brookings Institution and the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He 

was also a visiting scholar at Cooperative Monitoring Center, Sandia National Laboratory, 

Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Currently he is visiting professor at the Department of National Security Affairs, 

Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. 

Dr. Gaurav Rajen is a consultant to the International Security Center at Sandia National 

Laboratories where he has been studying regional environmental cooperation and nuclear 

nonproliferation issues in South Asia. He has extensive experience in private industry and 

academia in environmental engineering, computer modeling, and international cooperation. 

He has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware, USA, and 

Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in aeronautical engineering from the Indian Institute of 

Technology, Mumbai, India. He has worked as a consultant for the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as other U.S. and 

international government and private agencies. 

Michael Vannoni, an engineer by training, is a Principal Member of Technical Staff at 

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He conducts research and 

analysis in monitoring techniques for arms control and nonproliferation with emphasis on 

conventional forces. Previous work topics include the development of inspection 

equipment for the Chemical Weapons Convention, risk assessment of nuclear power plants 

and hazardous material transportation, and systems analysis of manufacturing operations. 
Cooperative Monitoring Center 

44 

Distribution 

350 MS 1371 CMC Library, 6929 

1 MS 9018 Central Technical Files, 8940-2 

2 MS 0899 Technical Library, 4916