In 1984, Indian Air Force could have ‘inflicted major damage’ on Pakistan’s nuclear facilities CIA

[c-dome1]

In 1984, Indian Air Force could have ‘inflicted major damage’ on Pakistan’s nuclear facilities, CIA believed Published January 30, 2017 SOURCE: TNN The Indian Air Force (IAF) could have “inflicted major damage on Pakistan’s most critical nuclear facilities”, in 1984, says a secret CIA document from November of that year.The secret “intelligence assessment”, made soon after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination, also said that an attack by the IAF could “destroy or sufficiently damage the facilities to prevent Islamabad from producing nuclear weapons for several years.” Surprisingly, the CIA document also says that MIG 29s – which India at the time was awaiting delivery of – had “medium-range capability superior to” that of the F-16s, which were and still are made by the US. Notably, Pakistan possessed F-16s. Because of “poor command, control, and communications, we judge that Islamabad could not blunt a massed Indian airstrike”, the document says. It adds, though, that “surprise and speed” by the IAF were critical for a successful strike on Pakistan’s ‘most critical’ nuclear facilities. According to the CIA, those facilities were the Kahuta Enrichment Plant and PINSTECH-New Laboratories facility, both of which were just 30 minutes away by plane from India. India’s air force was “larger and better” than Pakistan’s, the 1984 CIA document says.”We believe that the Pakistanis can neither provide effective air defense for their military and industrial targets against a concerted Indian air attack nor seriously threaten most strategic targets in India,” it adds. In the event of an IAF strike on Pakistan, the IAF would have most likely used its MIg-23s and its Jaguar aircraft, the CIA believed at the time.”The best window for a preemptive strike, in our opinion, would be during November through February. Low precipitation and lack of clods make visual target identification the easiest in this period,” the CIA document explains. The US intelligence agency document detailing this scenario is one of thousands of recently declassified CIA documents.

 

[Hassan Guy]

Thats exactly why they did...


oh wait, they didn't.

 

[Jf Thunder]

Damn those Indians, we couldn't become a Nuclear power because of that attack.

 

[WaLeEdK2]

But they didn't? By the 80's Pakistan was ready to test the Bomb. The test was conducted in 1998 only after the Indian tests as a response and to have a credible claim of deterrence.

 

[Mitro]

[emoji23]

 

[Godman]

The CIA is merely an observer and these reports are what they saw during that time. It doesn't reflect the views of Indian and Pakistani commanders and politicians