Pakistan is accelerating its nuclear weapons program

June 1, 2009 · Posted in Blogroll, Uncategorized · 1 Comment 

Wired reports that Pakistan seems to be stepping up its program for manufacturing more nuclear devices; and additionally, it is ramping up efforts to produce more efficient thermonuclear warheads.

Ramping up these nuclear facilities, ISIS notes, is “likely linked to a strategic decision to improve the destructiveness and deliverability of its nuclear arsenal.” Take, for instance, the focus on plutonium production: A plutonium fission device can be used as the “primary” (i.e., as the trigger) for a staged weapon that would set off a thermonuclear “secondary.” That’s scary enough; but equally troubling is the potential vulnerability of these nuclear sites.

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