Pakistan threatens to deploy nuclear missiles in submarines

Pakistan claims it is ready to deploy nuclear missiles on its submarines.

Both Pakistan and India possess nuclear weapons. The countries exploded nuclear devices in 1998 and declared themselves nuclear powers.

However it's not known how many nuclear weapons or what kind the two countries have.

"Pakistan may equip its submarines with nuclear missiles to defend its key naval installations," said navy spokesman Roshan Khayal.

Most analysts do not believe that either country has yet deployed nuclear weapons or that they have developed nuclear warheads for their missile systems.

Both Pakistan and India have tested medium and long range missiles capable of hitting deep within each other's territory.

Pakistan recently added three French submarines to its fleet - all of them capable of carrying nuclear warheads, said Mr Khayal.

Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Afzal Tahir said earlier that India has ambitions to deploy nuclear weapons on its submarine fleet and Pakistan has to keep pace.

"Nuclear weapons have fundamentally changed the dynamics of the military equation in the region and Pakistan has to prepare itself to meet any aggression," he said.

Mr Tahir did not offer a time frame for putting nuclear missiles on submarines.