Indo-US Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: Implications for South Asia Regional Security

Stimson Center Visiting Fellow Wing Commander Adil Sultan’s research was on the regional implications of the US-India Nuclear Deal.  His main conclusions were that the deal’s most worrisome aspects, from a Pakistani perspective, was its potential for a realignment of the United States towards India and away from Pakistan. If this were the case, Pakistan would need to look for ways to strengthen ties with other nations. Wing Commander Sultan did not conclude that the deal, if implemented, would result in an arms race. But if it did facilitate qualitative or quantitative improvements in India’s nuclear arsenal, then Pakistan would have to readjust its strategic posture accordingly. In Wing Commander Sultan’s analysis, the proposed deal was not primarily about helping India’s energy needs. Instead, in his view, it was about strengthening the US-India partnership, and India’s strategic capabilities.