“As of the end of 2013, India’s fissile material stockpiles include 800-1,000 kilograms of weapon-grade plutonium from CIRUS and Dhruva-1 production reactors; 2 tons of highly enriched uranium [HEU] from RMP; and 15 tons of weapon-usable reactor-grade plutonium from its pressurized heavy water reactors [PHWRs].”
He says the significance of these cannot be underestimated.
“These stocks are outside [International Atomic Energy Agency] safeguards and are sufficient for producing about 250 warheads from weapon-grade plutonium; 40 warheads from HEU; and 1,875 warheads from reactor-grade plutonium, which was used in one of India’s 1998 nuclear tests” he said.
Additional capabilities will be added within the next three to five years, he said, that could produce another 171 kilograms of weapon-grade plutonium.
“These figures would add up with existing capacities and would allow India to produce about 100 warheads from weapon-grade plutonium and HEU each year in addition to 50 warheads from one PHWR run on low-burn up,” he said.
“Even if a fraction of the other seven PHWRs are used to produce fuel for India’s fast breeder reactors as claimed, these can still add another 137 weapons worth of fissile material each year,” he said.