Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 5 INDIA'S ASSERTIVE COMMAND SYSTEM—THE 'BASELINE' MODEL
devolutionary alternatives, with respect to decision making in the event of
decapitation—just as the custodial arrangement would also mutate as a crisis
evolves to the point where India might choose to ready its nuclear weapons for
possible use.
Figures 5
-10 attempt to describe illustratively, and in iterations of
increasing complexity, how the assertive Indian command system might operate
in a variety of strategic circumstances.
The model of assertive control illustrated in
Figure 5
suggests how India
might maintain its distributed deterrent both in peace and in war; it attempts to
identify the broad pattern of responsibilities both within the civilian and across
the civil-military realms. This model is based on the early work of General
K.Sundarji, which knowledgeable Indian civilian strategists note has served as
the generic blueprint for India's nuclear command and control system.
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Four
specific operational tasks are shown: the command of the force, the custody of
the distributed components, the integration of the arsenal, and finally, the
delivery of the weapons.
As the graphic suggests, the command of India's nuclear capabilities will
remain an exclusively civilian responsibility that resides primarily with the
Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Although this responsibility will devolve to other
individuals in the event of strategic decapitation, the principle of civilian control
will still remain effective.
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The military will have
no formal
role whatsoever at
the level of command, even though they may be consulted by the civilian
leadership.
92
The custody of the strategic components would be shared by both
civilian and military organizations. In the simplest conception imaginable, the
