International concern over the security of Pakistan’s nuclear facilities has significantly increased with recent turmoil there. But how justified is this concern?
Pakistan carries out a full range of activities relating to nuclear weapons: from mining and milling raw materials; through the production of heavy water, tritium, highly enriched uranium and plutonium; to weaponization. It also has an advanced missile program. Yet little is actually known about the security of all these facilities apart from the fact that they are guarded by a specially trained force of 10,000 separate from, but under the control of, the military.
