I will reiterate the importance of not only increasing the number and range of the delivery platforms, but significantly increasing the yield of Indian nuclear weapons. 100Kt is a tactical weapon that can destory a dozen city blocks... not more than that. ICBM silos, underground facilities and various hardened military targets cannot be penetrated by 100Kt (or less) warheads. To reliably de-populate a large city India would need 10-15 warheads, and thats a luxury you simply cannot afford.
India does not possess sufficient arsenal to deter China in case of all-out war. Second strike or first.
I also caution our analysts from falling into complacency when it comes to enemy's readiness to sacrifice civilians to achieve victory. If there is an all-out war between Inida and China/Pakistan ... I'm sorry... There are no good news for India in that kind of scenario.
Finally, too many of you think that NFU is some sort of holly grail of nuclear policy. To believe that NFU cannot be ignored or violated at the whim of the high command is a mistake. NFU is a diplomatic move that country with small nuclear arsenals are forced to engage in while they built up the stockpile. Proverbial "saying good dogie, while you looking for a stick thats big enough".
NFU has a meaning in India-Pakistan conflict only, because both countries' arsenals are... toy-like. China's arsenal is well ahead in range, potency and quantity. Chinese NFU is for big boys like Russia or US, not for India.
I dont think anyone has made a tactical nuke at big in yield as 100KT.
The W54 which was a well known one and here are the details for it.
There were four distinct models of the basic W54 design used, each with different yield, but the same basic design. These were:
Mk-54 (Davy Crockett) — 10 or 20 ton yield, Davy Crockett artillery warhead
Mk-54 (SADM) — variable yield 10 ton to 1 kiloton, Special Atomic Demolition Munition device (photo showing SADM components
W-54 — 250 ton yield, warhead for AIM-26 Falcon air to air missile
W72 — 600 ton yield, rebuilt W-54 (Falcon warhead) for AGM-62 Walleye
Tactical nukes are not for destroying city blocks. They are for use against armies, for a tank formation, for bridges etc.
There was a post by someone else who suggested a tactical thermocuke. God please understand what a tactical nuke is.
All thermonukes are strategic weapons.
In general guys please understand what a first and a second strike is. I think a lot of people have misconception about a first strike. A general feeling that i have got is that most people feel that a first strike is against population centers. Grossly wrong. A first strike is against military targets to take out the C3, their nukes, delivery systems etc. A first strike has to be a crippling one that destroys the enemy's ability to retaliate, particularly with nukes. That is why the super powers developed so many weapons that could destroy all that and still they felt it was not enough. And thats the reason why with even 20,000 warheads the super powers felt that nuke wars cannot be won and they started talking about reducing nukes.
Second strike is a strike after suffering a first strike (if it happens) destroys an army or population center. It is a revenge strike. And it would certainly be on major population and industrial centers.
People, event the most hawkish among the hawks in the Indian strategic circle has never talked about first strike or re evaluating the NFU. They know its not workable. Apart from the US and Russia no one has the capacity to take out all the enemy has in a first strike and still they are not sure if they would succeed. So with about 100 or 200 nukes you are certainly not going to do anything in a first strike.
If India were to launch a first strike against Pakistan for example on cities like Karachi, Lahore, Pindi, Peshawar, then yes it would kill a few million people, but then it would leave India naked to retaliatory strike from them and nukes on Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore would wipe out 100 million. Is that what we want? NO we dont.
Most people here are talking in a manner as if to win a nuke war. It was realiized long back that a nuke war CANNOT be won.