NEW DELHI, Jan 4: India announced a nuclear command system on Saturday, keeping civilian control on using its ominous arsenal but appeared to deliberately kept vague its no-first use stance, saying it could retaliate for a major attack, including a biological or a chemical weapons assault, on Indian forces at home and, significantly, elsewhere.

There was no comment on widespread fears that the response time between India and its nuclear neighbours, China and Pakistan, was a fraction of the time available to Washington and Moscow to take a decision over fears of a nuclear attack during much of the Cold War.

The foreign ministry made the announcement in a statement after a two-hour meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

It said the CCS met under the leadership of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee “to review the progress in operationalizing of India’s nuclear doctrine.”

The CCS decided the limited information, regarding the nuclear doctrine and operational arrangements governing India’s nuclear assets, that should be shared with the public.

On the India’s nuclear doctrine, the statement summarized it as

(i) Building and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent;

(ii) A posture of “No First Use”: nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or on Indian forces anywhere;

(iii) Nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage;

(iv) Nuclear retaliatory attacks can only be authorised by the civilian political leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority;

(v) Non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states;

(vi) However, in the event of a major attack against India, or Indian forces anywhere, by biological or chemical weapons, India will retain the option of retaliating with nuclear weapons;

(vii) A continuance of strict controls on export of nuclear and missile related materials and technologies, participation in the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty negotiations, and continued observance of the moratorium on nuclear tests; and

(viii) Continued commitment to the goal of a nuclear weapons-free world, through global, verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament.

The Nuclear Command Authority comprised a Political Council and an Executive Council, the foreign ministry said.

“The Political Council is chaired by the Prime Minister. It is the sole body which can authorise the use of nuclear weapons,” the announcement said.

The Executive Council, on the other hand, would be presided over by the National Security Advisor. The Executive Council is at present headed by Brajesh Mishra, who doubles as Vajpayee’s principal secretary.

It provides inputs for decision-making by the Nuclear Command Authority and executes the directives given to it by the Political Council.

“The CCS reviewed the existing command and control structures, the state of readiness, the targeting strategy for a retaliatory attack, and operating procedures for various stages of alert and launch,” the foreign ministry said.

It said the CCS expressed satisfaction with the overall preparedness.

“The CCS approved the appointment of a Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command, to manage and administer all Strategic Forces.”

The CCS also reviewed and approved the arrangements for alternative chains of command for retaliatory nuclear strikes “in all eventualities,” apparently a euphemism for a decapitating first strike.