In Its Nuclear Race With India, Pakistan Catches Up

The nuclear race between India and Pakistan is intensifying, thanks in large part to Islamabad's fear that its military is starting to lag behind New Delhi's. Over the past decade, Pakistan has become alarmed by the widening gap between the two neighbors' abilities to wage conventional war. In an effort to counteract the growing disparity, Pakistan has turned to its nuclear inventory to level the playing field. But in doing so, Islamabad has spurred its nuclear competition with New Delhi forward even faster, a rivalry that culminated in Pakistan's Jan. 9 test-fire of the Babur-3 submarine-launched cruise missile. The test of the sea-based nuclear-capable weapon was the first of its kind in Pakistan, underscoring the country's investment in mitigating the threat looming on its eastern border. As Islamabad takes steps to bolster its nuclear deterrent, New Delhi will almost certainly follow suit, each state engaging in a dangerous contest to stay...