Pakistan close to boosting atom bomb ability

Society Military and Strategic Issues
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The hawks in the US seem to know exactly what we are capable of…

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\09\19\story_19-9-2008_pg1_5

VIENNA: Pakistan is close to completing a second plutonium-producing reactor, and is well into building a third, and these reactors could increase its ability to make atomic bombs, a United States think-tank said on Thursday.

“The wider implication … (is that) there is a real risk this will exacerbate an India-Pakistan nuclear arms race and increase tensions more broadly between the two,” the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said in a report.

The report included commercial satellite images taken two weeks ago and in February and May showing construction of the second and third Khushab complexes.

The 10-page report estimated the reactors would run on power of “about 100-megawatts or more”, which could enable the two combined to yield plutonium for 8 to 10 atomic bombs a year.

Pakistan has an operating heavy-water reactor and heavy-water production plant already at Khushab.

A row of cooling towers indicated the second reactor was close to completion and could be ready to operate in a year’s time, according to the 10-page report.

“Once completed, these reactors will increase several-fold Pakistan’s ability to make weapons-grade plutonium (fuel).” “When finished…will allow a significant increase in the quantity and quality of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.”

The report said India could easily match Pakistan’s moves given its own ability to churn out plutonium in heavy water reactors and a fast-breeder reactor under construction.

Pakistan built its first nuclear power station in 1972 with Canadian help. But Western countries, under pressure from Washington, later severed cooperation amid suspicion that Pakistan was covertly developing nuclear weapons. reuters

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Also reported by Reuters
Pakistan close to boosting atom bomb means: report | International | Reuters

Report by Institute for Science and International Security

Exerpt

Each reactor is assumed to achieve a capacity factor of 60-80 percent, and each nuclear weapon is assumed to require 5 kilograms of plutonium. The Khushab I reactor is estimated as having a power of about 50 megawatts-thermal.

If the power of each of the two new Khushab reactors is 250 megawatts-thermal, the two reactors combined could produce enough plutonium for about 20-25 nuclear weapons per year.

If each has a power of 1,000 megawatts-thermal, then the two reactors combined could produce enough plutonium for between 80 and 100 nuclear weapons per year, assuming both operate at full power for at least 60 percent of the year.

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Re: Pakistan close to boosting atom bomb ability

so why cant they see as civilian power generation facility already working on that site, that would be very silly if they start using this facility only for weapons grade plutonium generation. Pakistan is power hungry country and living in shortage of energy. It will be good for Pakistan energy needs. Even if Pakistan does use for other purposes, we havnt signed any CTBT or come under IAEA, as independent nation we have every right to produce whatever we reguire to safegaurd our defence and energy needs.

and on the second note, we are not given incentives like India is being given so we have no option to produce the nuclear fuel locally within Pakistan.

its worth noting how a simple images can be shown as whatever the viewer can label as. they done the same scam imagary showing Sadam making chemical weapons etc from sat images.

and Pakistan would be very stupid to expose defence nuclear installation prone to spy satellites anyway, most likely these have to be underground and scattered around the country. this and other site are visible only cause Pakistan want these to be seen.

Tasveer