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Pakistan to overtake Britain as world's fifth largest nuclear power

By David Williams

Last updated at 5:45 PM on 21st February 2011

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* Experts think Pakistan could have 110 nuclear weapons

Pakistan is on the verge of overtaking Britain as the world's fifth largest nuclear power at a time when the country faces an unprecedented threat from extremists.

American intelligence agencies believe that Pakistan now has more than 100 deployed nuclear weapons, an increase of nearly 40 per cent in two years.

It means that one of the countries considered the most unstable in the region is ahead of both Britain and, significantly arch-rival India, to own the fifth largest nuclear arsenal behind the United States, Russia, France and China.

Pakistani nuclear weapon

Asif Ali Zardari

Pakistan showed they had nuclear weapons after their display three years ago (left) though President Asif Ali Zardari could face questions as to how the country can afford to keep investing in weapons

MEANWHILE IN INDIA ...

The Times reported today that the world's biggest nuclear power station might well involve several British companies, including Rolls Royce and Serco.

A top drawer trade delegation team from Britain, led by Lady Judge,touched down in Mumbai today, with a view to helping build the six giant reactors in Jaitapur, on the west coast of India.

The park will cost 13.5billion and will have a capacity of 9,900 megawatts, which is more than the combined output of eight Sizewell B stations (which serve two million British homes each).

In July Prime Minister David Cameron signed a pact to share civil technology with India, and John NcNamara of the Nuclear Industry Association in Britain said that the proposal at Jaitapur is 'certainly of interest', according to the Times.

India are looking to quadruple their nuclear power output by 2020 with the help of the super plant.

The Pakistan military says it needs more nuclear weapons to counter and deter India's more conventional military might.

The two countries conducted nuclear tests in 1998, and have fought three wars since partition and independence in 1947.

The U.S. analysis is based on the recent increase in the production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium and some experts put the figure for nuclear weapons as high as 110.

Many of these have been miniaturised to be mounted on ballistic missiles with ranges of more than 1,245 miles bringing many Indian cities within reach.

The weapons have been kept at depots all over Pakistan - some are said to be near the main air bases.

The revelation of the growing size of its nuclear weapons will throw the spotlight on the massive aid packages given to Islamabad by the West, especially the U.S..

It will also raise questions about how the beleaguered administration of President Asif Ali Zardari can justify spending on nuclear weapons when so many in his country live in poverty and appalling conditions.

Last year millions was raised worldwide by charities for victims of Pakistan's devastating floods.

More...

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Details of the emergence of the scale of the arsenal will also fuel concerns that with the weakness of Pakistan's government and the country's growing extremist problems - both the leaders of Al Qaeda and the Taliban are believed to be sheltering there - nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists.

Pakistan's first nuclear reactor was established with the help of the U.S. in 1965 and a nuclear weapons programme was launched in 1974 as India and Pakistan competed in a south Asian arms race.

Pakistan is believed to have developed a nuclear device by 1984.

China is thought to have played a critical part in Pakistan's nuclear programme, and is said to have helped it manufacture many of its weapons.

Western officials believe that long-range missile technology was partly acquired from North Korea in the 1990s - in exchange for Pakistan's help with its own nuclear programme.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359231/Pakistan-overtake-Britain-worlds-fifth-largest-nuclear-power.html#ixzz1EgnyHX1D

英媒称巴基斯坦或将超越英国成世界第五核大国

来源：中国新闻网

2011年02月22日15:37

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巴基斯坦三年前展示了它的核武器。

　　中新网2月22日电 英国《每日邮报》发表文章称，巴基斯坦正面临史无前例的来自极端分子的威胁，并即将超越英国成为世界第五核大国。

　　报道声称，美国情报机构相信巴基斯坦现在拥有上百件已部署的核武器，在过去的两年中增加了近40%。

　　美国分析家做出此种判断是基于最近钚和高浓缩铀产量的上升，一些专家估计巴基斯坦的核武器数量在110件左右。

　　该报还认为，很多武器小型化后可装载在弹道导弹上，射程可超过1245英里，覆盖多个印度城市。并且核武器已经储存在巴基斯坦全境，有些据称临近主要空军基地。

　　《每日邮报》称，这意味着巴基斯坦极有可能超越英国，还有强劲对手印度，拥有世界第五大核武器库。

　　印巴两国于1998年进行了核试验，并且自从1947年分治以来，已经爆发了三次印巴战争。

　　报道指出，对于巴基斯坦核规模的担心引发了西方对于扎尔达里政府的质疑。同样令西方人担心的是，核武器可能落到基地或塔利班等极端组织手中。

Details of the emergence of the scale of the arsenal will also fuel concerns that with the weakness of Pakistan's government and the country's growing extremist problems - both the leaders of Al Qaeda and the Taliban are believed to be sheltering there - nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists.