Nuclear Risk Reduction » The most serious nuclear competition in the world is now taking place in southern Asia. Pakistani, Indian, and Chinese nuclear capabilities are growing. Cruise missiles are supplementing ballistic missiles, and sea-based nuclear forces are being added to land-based missiles and nuclear-capable air forces. Pakistan and India are increasing their stockpiles of fissile material, and the infrastructure to support a much larger nuclear posture. Kashmir remains a contested area over which Pakistan and India have fought limited wars. The two militaries occasionally engage in fire fights across the Kashmir divide. Infiltration of militants trained in Pakistan continues, but at a lower level than the peak period of the 1990s. Stimson seeks to find deterrence stabilization and nuclear risk-reduction measures for this region. READ MORE »

Crisis Management » Since acquiring nuclear weapon capabilities, India and Pakistan have been beset by a series of crises triggered by large-scale military exercises, a major initiative by Pakistani military leaders to seize territory across the Line of Control dividing Kashmir, and mass casualty acts of terrorism on Indian soil carried out by individuals affiliated with and trained by terrorist outfits that have found shelter in Pakistan. Another crisis sparked by a mass casualty act of terrorism is widely expected. Seeking to learn best practices and lessons learned, Stimson has published studies on U.S. crisis management during the 1990 and 2001-2 "Twin Peaks" crises. Current research focuses on crisis management after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008. READ MORE »

Confidence-Building Measures » CBMs are diverse arrangements - such as hotlines, people-to-people exchanges, and prior notifications of military exercises - that can help reduce tensions and promote good neighborly relations. These tools are designed to make the behavior of states more predictable by facilitating communication among states and establishing rules or patterns of behavior for states' military forces. Stimson's South Asia CBM programming aims to expand the use of confidence-building measures and to strengthen measures that already exist in principle. READ MORE »

Visiting Fellows Program » The Stimson Center's South Asia Visiting Fellows program brings Indian and Pakistani researchers to Washington for up to three months to familiarize them with the theory and practice of arms control, disarmament, nuclear risk reduction, and confidence-building measures (CBMs). The South Asia Visiting Fellows program is currently geared toward government-employed individuals at an early or mid-career stage who show promise of being able to contribute creatively to the public debate on national security in their respective countries and in the region as a whole. READ MORE »

US-India Nuclear Deal » The Stimson Center provides a resource page on the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, which is likely to have far-reaching consequences, as is the related agreement between Washington and Delhi giving India the right to reprocess spent fuel under safeguards. India has subsequently completed deals with France and Russia to build new nuclear power plants, while U.S. investments and profits remain blocked by the Indian Parliament's reluctance to pass legislation limiting liability in the event of a nuclear accident. Beijing has subsequently reached a civil nuclear accord with Islamabad, disregarding the NSG’s voluntary guidelines, and Turkey has blocked international efforts to constrain reprocessing capabilities elsewhere. This page provides Stimson's analysis during the debate over the civil nuclear agreement, including Project Director Michael Krepon's testimony before the Congress. READ MORE »