Know more about nuclear weapons of India, Pakistan

New Delhi: After racing ahead of India in ballistic and cruise missiles, with covert help from China and North Korea, Pakistan seems to be surging ahead on the nuclear front too. A series of recent estimates by international nuclear watchdogs and reputed thinktanks hold that Pakistan has a total of 100 to 120 warheads compared to India's 90 to 100. India and Pakistan are rivals and have maintained hostile relations since they gained independence from the British in 1948. Three times these two nations have gone to war, twice over disputes about Kashmir. The two have been involved in a conventional arms race since the beginning, allocating huge percentages of their budgets to defense. India has been concerned about Pakistan's drive to bolster its nuclear arsenal over the past few years. While India has a clear and declared `no-first use' nuclear weapons doctrine, Pakistan has kept it vague to use as a tool to offset India's conventional military superiority. So let's have a look at the nuclear weapons/delivery systems of both the countries:Indian land-based ballistic missiles The land-based nuclear weapons of India are under the control of and deployed by the Indian Army, using a variety of both vehicles and launching silos. They currently consist of three different types of ballistic missiles, the Agni-I, the Agni-II, Agni-III and the Army's variant of the Prithvi missile family - the Prithvi-I. Additional variants of the Agni missile series are currently under-development, which are due to enter full operational service in the near future. Agni-VI is also under development, with an envisioned range of 6000–8000 km and features such as Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles. Strategic bombing India has nuclear-capable fighter aircraft such as the Dassault Mirage 2000H, Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, MIG-29, SEPECAT Jaguar and HAL Tejas. Sea-based ballistic missiles India operates a nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra. INS Arihant is designed for strategic deterrence and will carry nuclear-tipped SLBMs. DRDO, is working on Sagarika, a submarine-launched ballistic missile. The missile was successfully tested for the fourteenth time on January 27, 2013 in the Bay of Bengal. The missile is expected to provide India with a credible sea-based second-strike capability. Also, K-4, with a range of about 5000 km and a part of the K Missile family is being developed. Pakistan Delivery Systems Pakistan has been active since the early 80s in acquiring ballistic missiles and missile technology. This has resulted in the acquisition and development of an imposing list of missile systems. These systems are all basically derivatives of Chinese and North Korean technology, and in many cases are simply missile systems imported from abroad or assembled from foreign components. Currently the only missiles that are believed to be in service are the Hatf-1 and Hatf-2, the Chinese supplied M-9 and M-11, the Shaheen-1, and possibly the Ghauri/Ghauri-2. Strategic bombing The PAF has two dedicated units operating 18 aircraft in each squadron of the JF-17 Thunder, believed to be the preferred vehicle for delivery of nuclear weapons. These units are major part of the Air Force Strategic Command, a command responsible for nuclear response. The PAF also operates a fleet of F-16 fighters, of which 18 were delivered in 2012. The PAF also possesses the Ra'ad air-launched cruise missile which has a range of 350 km and can carry a nuclear warhead with a yield of between 10kt to 35kt. Sea-based ballistic missiles In 2004, the Pakistan Navy established the Naval Strategic Forces Command and made it responsible for countering and battling naval-based weapons of mass destruction. It is believed by most experts that Pakistan is developing a sea-based variant of the Hatf VII Babur, which is a nuclear-capable ground-launched cruise missile.