India's Counterforce Temptations: Strategic Dilemmas, Doctrine, and Capabilities

Citation: Christopher Clary, Vipin Narang India's Counterforce Temptations: Strategic Dilemmas, Doctrine, and Capabilities. International Security (RSS)
DOI (original publisher): 10.1162/isec_a_00340
Semantic Scholar (metadata): 10.1162/isec_a_00340
Sci-Hub (fulltext): 10.1162/isec_a_00340
Internet Archive Scholar (search for fulltext): India's Counterforce Temptations: Strategic Dilemmas, Doctrine, and Capabilities
Wikidata (metadata): Q61750117
Download: https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/full/10.1162/isec a 00340
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Summary

Analyzes reasons for India's growing counterforce (first strike against Pakistan nuclear capability) capabilities and ambiguous qualifications of its no first strike policy. Both India and Pakistan becoming nuclear powers has not eliminated lower level conflict, which could escalate. Alternative explanations briefly mentioned are technological drift and bluff. Shows US-USSR countrforce strategies not unique to global nuclear contests.