Weapons of Mass Destruction: Options for India

Front Cover
Raja Menon
SAGE Publications, Dec 7, 2004 - Business & Economics - 308 pages
Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, or Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), present a serious danger in today’s world. This pertinent and topical volume takes a hard-headed look at the threat that India could face from these weapons.

A great deal of literature exists on international regimes and their attempts to curb the proliferation of WMD. For a number of years the national effort seemed to be confined to relying solely on these international regimes to ensure the safety of the nation. This book is groundbreaking in that it concentrates more on the protection of society and the armed forces against both state and non-state actors armed with WMD, and less on the international regimes. Additionally, the book offers a detailed checklist for the formulation of a national strategy to protect the people of India from WMD agents, while suggesting a counter-proliferation strategy. With contributions from leading analysts in the field, some of the important issues that are discussed here include:
- The danger that WMD pose to governments and to the populace at large.
- The actual threat of WMD and the scenarios that India needs to guard against.
- Whether India faces a greater WMD threat from state or non-state actors.
- The possible protective measures that can be undertaken to guard against these threats.
- The position that the Indian government needs to take in international fora while addressing international initiatives to prevent the use of WMD.

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About the author (2004)

Rear Admiral Raja Menon retired in 1994 as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations). A submarine specialist, he pioneered the development of the new submarine arm of the Indian Navy, and was therefore exposed at an early stage to policy, finance and strategy. He was a member of the Arun Singh Committee to restructure the national defence set-up in India, as also a member of the Defence University Committee. Admiral Menon is visiting lecturer at all institutes of higher study of the Indian armed forces and was instrumental in organizing the first nuclear management course for Indian service officers. He is a consultant to the Indian Net Assessment Directorate. With two M.Sc degrees in Defence Studies, Admiral Menon writes regularly for journals and newspapers in India and abroad. His publications include Maritime Strategy and Continental Wars (1988), A Nuclear Strategy for India (2000), and The Indian Navy: A Photo Essay (2000). Married to a well-known painter, the Menons have two grown up sons. Admiral Menon is a keen sailor, golfer, vintage car owner and weekend farmer.

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