Rear Adm. Mohammad Afzal Tahir, deputy CNO: Pakistan Considering Equipping Subs with Nuclear Missiles

Pakistan has at least 40 nuclear warheads, and one of the most sophisticated and feared delivery systems in the world.

The Pakistani Navy is very proud of its three, French-built Agosta 90B stealth submarines, each capable of carrying 16 cruise missiles with nuclear payloads. They are the top of their class for French submarines and Pakistan has the French license to produce more of them at a commercial base in Karachi.

The Agosta 90B build project was completed despite a suicide bomb attack that killed 11 of the its French engineers in outside their Karachi hotel in May 2002. The deal had to have been approved by the U.S. government because the sub contains U.S. parts.

Nominal specifications for the Agosta 90Bs indicate they can fire Exocet missiles and torpedoes.

Rear Adm. Mohammad Afzal Tahir, the deputy chief of naval staff for operations, announced that the Pakistan navy was considering equipping its submarines with nuclear missiles. He suggested the Agosta 90B submarine, with its air independent propulsion system, can deliver nuclear weapons.

The major question becomes Could al-Qaida take over Pakistan? Terrorists would inherit nuclear arsenal, delivery system

Is only one man preventing bin Laden or his allies from getting their hands on a large nuclear arsenal and the means to deliver it anywhere in the world? The G2 Bulletin reports Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan may be the man. Were open elections held today in Pakistan, and bin Laden or his protege allowed to compete, there is little doubt the populace would be with such a leader, according to G2 Bulletin sources.