Testing Positive
The advocates of the atomic Energy Commission position: the hydrogen bomb test was a 4 kiloton success, based on radiochemical sampling of the shafts after the tests and ground motion and displacement simulation.
Testing Negative
Those who believe what DRDO’s instrumentation and seismic stations worldwide concluded: the hydrogen bomb test was a small bang of about 25 kilotons. But seismic data is the least accurate way to measure such events.
SCIENCE OF SHAKTI I
The Pokhran II hydrogen bomb or thermonuclear test, known as Shakti I, was a two stage explosion. The first stage was a 15 kiloton boosted fission bomb. When this detonated, it produced the temperatures that allowed hydrogen to fuse, generating another 30 kilotons. The “fizzle” school argues the yield for the second stage was at best 10 kilotons – indicating the fusion reaction died prematurely.
Is India Still a Nuclear Armed Power? Yes, Whatever the fate of the fusion test, no one doubts India has a perfect nuclear fission weapon. A miniaturized version tested in 1998 was flawless. This means India has a 15 KT warhead (bigger than the bomb that wiped out Hiroshima) that can be delivered by any of its missiles and aircraft.
