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The 2nd gas centrifuge near Mysore may be near completion, may boost nuclear weapon material production
New Delhi: Satellite images shows a construction is finishing of what appears to be a second gas centrifuge facility at the Rare Materials Plant (RMP), near Mysore. This new facility could significantly increase India’s ability to produce highly enriched uranium for military purposes, including more powerful nuclear weapons, states Massachusetts based think tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). India is also in the early stages of building a larger unsafeguarded centrifuge complex, the Special Material Enrichment Facility (SMEF), in Karnataka, add ISIS based experts David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini.
http://*****************/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Digital-Globe-imagery-showing-the-status-of-India%E2%80%99s-Rare-Materials-Plant-in-February-2011.jpg
Digital Globe imagery showing the status of India’s Rare Materials Plant in February 2011
Citing various sources, ISIS experts state that India has been pursuing a gas centrifuge program to enrich uranium since the 1970s. In 1982, the Department of Atomic Energy decided to “construct a classified technology demonstration project,” the Rare Materials Project, as a unit of the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) at Mysore for uranium enrichment. Over the last three decades, this project has matured and allegedly proven itself at the demonstration scale, according to BARC. The success of this secret military enrichment program likely depended on illegal purchases of goods and technology abroad given that this unit aimed to overcome international sanctions imposed on India and trade controls of supplier nations, which BARC called the “Technology Denial Regime”.
http://*****************/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Digital-Globe-imagery-showing-the-status-of-India%E2%80%99s-Rare-Materials-Plant-in-February-2012.jpg
Digital Globe imagery showing the status of India’s Rare Materials Plant in February 2012
ISIS says it uses commercial satellite imagery to track worldwide nuclear establishments, and the same has been used to monitor the secret development at the Rare Materials Plant, near Mysore, believed to be the major site of this classified technology project and the home of India’s first major centrifuge plant. The centrifuge started operations several years ago and is not under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. In 2010, India started building what appears to be a second larger centrifuge plant at the site. However, it is unclear if this new plant is to supplement or replace the first one. India could have more than doubled its enrichment capacity, if the original building continues to function as an enrichment plant. If not, the new building would still represent a net growth in India’s enrichment capacity
http://*****************/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Digital-Globe-imagery-showing-the-status-of-India%E2%80%99s-Rare-Materials-Plant-in-April-2013.jpg
Digital Globe imagery showing the status of India’s Rare Materials Plant in April 2013
India has reportedly made highly enriched uranium (HEU) at this site, and in 2011 its top nuclear official said this enrichment site is more than adequate for producing enough enriched uranium for its nuclear-powered submarine reactors. India’s newly developed Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine is assessed as having an 80 megawatt-thermal nuclear reactor onboard and a core that contains approximately 65 kg of U-235 in HEU. Although the INS Arihant reactor went critical for the first time only in August 2013, India has started the construction of its second nuclear-powered submarine -INS Aridaman and is believed to have plans to start the construction of a third one. India also may be making HEU at the RMP for nuclear weapons, in particular for thermonuclear weapons.
New Centrifuge Complex in Karnataka
In 2011, India announced its intention to build an industrial-scale centrifuge complex in Challakere Taluk, Chitradurga District, Karnataka. The plant, called the Special Material Enrichment Facility, will be under the BARC. In 2011, Atomic energy Commission Chairman and nuclear scientist Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, in an interview said that the Special Material Enrichment Facility will not be safeguarded and will have multiple roles, both civilian and military. BARC recently confirmed this dual-use intention and described the facility as a “large scale facility” compared to the RMP’s demonstration scale, implying that the new site will also house gas centrifuges. This site could thus be dedicated to the production of both HEU and low enriched uranium (LEU) for military and civilian purposes. The preparatory work have started for this plant and the construction is yet to begin.
Read more: The 2nd gas centrifuge near Mysore may be near completion, may boost nuclear weapon material production
New Delhi: Satellite images shows a construction is finishing of what appears to be a second gas centrifuge facility at the Rare Materials Plant (RMP), near Mysore. This new facility could significantly increase India’s ability to produce highly enriched uranium for military purposes, including more powerful nuclear weapons, states Massachusetts based think tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). India is also in the early stages of building a larger unsafeguarded centrifuge complex, the Special Material Enrichment Facility (SMEF), in Karnataka, add ISIS based experts David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini.
http://*****************/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Digital-Globe-imagery-showing-the-status-of-India%E2%80%99s-Rare-Materials-Plant-in-February-2011.jpg
Digital Globe imagery showing the status of India’s Rare Materials Plant in February 2011
Citing various sources, ISIS experts state that India has been pursuing a gas centrifuge program to enrich uranium since the 1970s. In 1982, the Department of Atomic Energy decided to “construct a classified technology demonstration project,” the Rare Materials Project, as a unit of the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) at Mysore for uranium enrichment. Over the last three decades, this project has matured and allegedly proven itself at the demonstration scale, according to BARC. The success of this secret military enrichment program likely depended on illegal purchases of goods and technology abroad given that this unit aimed to overcome international sanctions imposed on India and trade controls of supplier nations, which BARC called the “Technology Denial Regime”.
http://*****************/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Digital-Globe-imagery-showing-the-status-of-India%E2%80%99s-Rare-Materials-Plant-in-February-2012.jpg
Digital Globe imagery showing the status of India’s Rare Materials Plant in February 2012
ISIS says it uses commercial satellite imagery to track worldwide nuclear establishments, and the same has been used to monitor the secret development at the Rare Materials Plant, near Mysore, believed to be the major site of this classified technology project and the home of India’s first major centrifuge plant. The centrifuge started operations several years ago and is not under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. In 2010, India started building what appears to be a second larger centrifuge plant at the site. However, it is unclear if this new plant is to supplement or replace the first one. India could have more than doubled its enrichment capacity, if the original building continues to function as an enrichment plant. If not, the new building would still represent a net growth in India’s enrichment capacity
http://*****************/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Digital-Globe-imagery-showing-the-status-of-India%E2%80%99s-Rare-Materials-Plant-in-April-2013.jpg
Digital Globe imagery showing the status of India’s Rare Materials Plant in April 2013
India has reportedly made highly enriched uranium (HEU) at this site, and in 2011 its top nuclear official said this enrichment site is more than adequate for producing enough enriched uranium for its nuclear-powered submarine reactors. India’s newly developed Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine is assessed as having an 80 megawatt-thermal nuclear reactor onboard and a core that contains approximately 65 kg of U-235 in HEU. Although the INS Arihant reactor went critical for the first time only in August 2013, India has started the construction of its second nuclear-powered submarine -INS Aridaman and is believed to have plans to start the construction of a third one. India also may be making HEU at the RMP for nuclear weapons, in particular for thermonuclear weapons.
New Centrifuge Complex in Karnataka
In 2011, India announced its intention to build an industrial-scale centrifuge complex in Challakere Taluk, Chitradurga District, Karnataka. The plant, called the Special Material Enrichment Facility, will be under the BARC. In 2011, Atomic energy Commission Chairman and nuclear scientist Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, in an interview said that the Special Material Enrichment Facility will not be safeguarded and will have multiple roles, both civilian and military. BARC recently confirmed this dual-use intention and described the facility as a “large scale facility” compared to the RMP’s demonstration scale, implying that the new site will also house gas centrifuges. This site could thus be dedicated to the production of both HEU and low enriched uranium (LEU) for military and civilian purposes. The preparatory work have started for this plant and the construction is yet to begin.
Read more: The 2nd gas centrifuge near Mysore may be near completion, may boost nuclear weapon material production
