Pakistan’s HEU-based Nuclear Weapons Programme and Nuclear Terrorism: A Reality Check

Reshmi Kazi

Archive data: Person was Associate Fellow at IDSA Joined IDSA September 2007 Expertise India’s nuclear weapon policy, nuclear non-proliferation studies, nuclear security, nuclear terrorism and global nuclear disarmament.  Also follow… Continue reading Pakistan’s HEU-based Nuclear Weapons Programme and Nuclear Terrorism: A Reality Check read more

In order to construct an operational nuclear device, terrorists need to obtain the requisite fissile materials – Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) or plutonium. It has been proved that, generally, it is much simpler to devise a crude nuclear bomb with HEU than with plutonium. Hence, terrorists can have ‘reasonable confidence’ in the performance of weapons-grade HEU bombs. The magnitude of the threat of nuclear terrorism from Pakistan’s HEU-based nuclear weapons programme is assuming alarming proportions. However, adequate preventive steps can be taken to minimize the danger.