NEW DELHI, May 26: Defence Minister George Fernandes today said that missiles used by the Indian armed forces would now be equipped with nuclear warheads and the weaponisation process would not be affected by the country's unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests.In an interview to a private TV channel, he revealed that scientists were of the view that that the tests had given them "sufficient material for weaponisation."Asked if this meant that missiles used by Indian armed forces would now be equipped with nuclear warheads, Fernandes said, "This is precisely what it is," a release from the television channel quoting him said. Fernandes said that no time-frame had been set as of now to complete the weaponisation programme. "The timing will depend on our defence and threat perceptions which keep changing," he said.Later, asked for the BJP's reaction to Fernandes' statement, political advisor to Prime Minister Pramod Mahajan said: "He is the Defence Minister and obviously he is speaking on behalf of thegovernment."In the interview, Fernandes said that without weaponisation `This whole question of being a nuclear weapons state does not make any sense.'"Nuclear weaponisation is necessary and in the ultimate analysis, inevitable," he said.Supporting the induction of nuclear weapons in the Indian armed forces, the Defence Minister explained that exercising the nuclear option "means weaponisation." He, however, said that weaponisation did not hold the threat of a nuclear war.Arguing that nuclear weapons had always been seen as a deterrent, he said, "No one is talking of nuclear war. There is only one instance when nuclear weapons were used and we know the circumstances. Nuclear weapons will only be a deterrent."Stating that his views on the nuclear issue had changed since the first test by India in 1974, Fernandes added: "My position shifted after the manner in which nuclear powers sought to force us to sign the CTBT which is a plain discriminatory regime."Answering a question, he said that hedid not agree that the strategic balance in the sub-continent had changed after India's nuclear tests. "Our defence priorities are still the same. We are facing a proxy war in Kashmir and insurgency in the North-East. Those remain our priority areas and the situation on the ground is the same.""The difference perhaps is that where earlier 50 rounds were being fired by Pakistan artillery on the border, today they are firing 100," he said.
