Pakistan is clandestinely developing a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States of America, according to a report of ‘Foreign Affairs’.
After India conducted Operation Sindoor on Pakistani soil last month, Pakistan has been aiming to bolster its nuclear arsenal with support from China. ‘If Pakistan successfully develops such a missile, Washington would classify the country as a nuclear adversary,’ the report said, citing US officials. Pakistan possesses around 170 nuclear warheads and has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The treaty is aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Currently Russia, China and North Korea are considered adversarial to America. Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions have long been a concern for Washington, especially as it maintains a close relationship with China, which has its own growing nuclear and missile arsenal. Washington has expressed concern over Pakistan’s expanding nuclear stockpile, fearing that an ICBM could destabilise not just the region, but also global security.
The maximum range of ICBMs varies from 7,000 to 16,000 kilometres. ICBMs can be launched in different ways – from underground missile silos, heavy trucks, mobile launchers on rails or submarines. As per the Federation of American Scientists these weapons can hit targets virtually anywhere in the world.
