Battlefield weapons and missile defense: Worrisome developments in nuclear South Asia

Two recent developments in South Asia have increased the risk of an accelerated arms race between India and Pakistan. One development is PakistanÕs introduction of theNasrmissile, a very-short-range, ÒtacticalÓ nuclear weapon that threatens IndiaÕs conventional forces and could also tempt other countries to develop battlefieldusable nuclear weapons. The other development is IndiaÕs announcement that it plans to use its nascent ballistic missile defense program to protect the civilian populations of Delhi and Mumbai, which would weaken PakistanÕs strategyofdeterrenceby threatening civilian casualties.Although these twodevelopments occurred in response to other perceived threats and are not directly connected, both have introduced new and more dangerous dimensions to the South Asian nuclear scene.