Systems analysis of strategic defense needs: comments

Abstract

While military capability alone may not promote peace, without it peace is impossible. A strategic defence capability therefore becomes a social overhead for economic growth, We may be faced with a nuclear threat from China and be without help because a direct confrontation among the super powers which have nuclear capability is impossible and has been made remote by mutual agreements among them. Also, it is in the super powers' interest to keep other countries like India from acquiring nuclear defence capability as it would reduce their own manoeuvrability and power., The following article argues that our objective has therefore to be to acquire general strategic capability that can break this emerging distribution of world power designed for the super powers' own convenience, and to neutralise a possible Chinese nuclear threat. The article thus weighs alternatives open to India within this framework of objectives, considers the direct and opportunity costs of the alternatives and the effectiveness of each, and concludes that an optimal nuclear strategy is the only effective answer to India's defence problem.