Unmasking Nuclear Secrets: How Yoga Poses on a Ship Revealed India’s Nuclear Shift
The world of nuclear weapons is shrouded in secrecy. Governments, understandably, are reticent to reveal the locations of their arsenals, fearing both the potential for attack and the escalation of geopolitical tensions. However, in a surprising twist, a seemingly innocuous activity – yoga – has inadvertently exposed a shift in India’s nuclear posture.
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS), a renowned US-based non-profit organization dedicated to tracking global nuclear capabilities, uncovered this revelation through a meticulous examination of social media posts. The discovery, detailed in an article titled "Hot-Launch Yoga: Cobra Pose Reveals Nuke Repose", reveals how a series of Instagram photographs showcasing yoga practices on a naval vessel uncovered the relocation of India’s nuclear weapons.
"I think this probably takes the cake for the most unexpected source that I’ve come across for nuclear weapons-related information," Matt Korda, Associate Director of the Nuclear Information Project at FAS, remarked to Gizmodo. "Instagram and other social media networks are certainly great places to look for clues if you know what to look for, but finding nuclear weapons information in yoga pictures was a bit of a surprise."
India, possessing a relatively modest nuclear arsenal of around 172 weapons, maintains a nuclear triad, encompassing air-, land-, and sea-based delivery systems. The most elusive element of this triad is the sea-launched nuclear capability, typically deployed on submarines for their inherent stealth and strategic advantage. However, India’s initial foray into submarine-based nuclear weapons deployment only occurred in 2016. Before this, their sea-launched missiles were carried aboard two Sukanya-class patrol vessels, the INS Suvarana and INS Subhadra.
These vessels, equipped with older, short-range missiles requiring immediate pre-launch fueling, were considered a temporary solution. Experts predicted that India would eventually transition to submarine-based nuclear weapons, but the timing of this shift remained unclear.
Enter Matt Korda, who embarked on an investigation by scrutinizing satellite imagery. He noticed the absence of stabilizers, crucial components for launching nuclear missiles, from the decks of the Sukanya-class vessels. Yet, identifying the specific ships, INS Suvarana and INS Subhadra, proved challenging due to the similarity in appearance among the five other Sukanya-class vessels not equipped for nuclear operations.
Korda had a realization: "They have lots of missions beyond nuclear, including policing and coastal defense," he noted. "That means that they’re usually sailing into areas where people might be taking pictures of them." With his suspicions piqued, he delved into social media, searching for photographs of the vessels. And that’s when the yoga pictures emerged.
In an October 2022 post by PBS India, a photo captured the deck of INS Suvarana with individuals engaging in yoga poses. A subsequent image, posted in February 2024, showed the INS Subhadra’s deck in a similar setting. Strikingly, both photographs conspicuously lacked the stabilizers. This pointed towards a definitive change – India had removed its nuclear weapons from these ships.
India’s fondness for yoga diplomacy, showcasing the practice as a national symbol and promoting it through social media, played a crucial role in inadvertently revealing this strategic shift. The government and military frequently post pictures of people engaging in yoga, even aboard naval vessels. This seemingly innocuous practice ultimately exposed their nuclear relocation.
Analyzing multiple social media posts spanning the past two years, Korda discovered a consistent trend: the two Sukanya-class vessels were frequently featured in yoga-themed content, always devoid of the crucial stabilizers. "The Indian Navy must certainly get something of value out of its yoga-related diplomacy initiative since it does these practices quite regularly," Korda observed. "Perhaps a bit of military signaling, perhaps a bit of cultural diplomacy, perhaps something else entirely."
He further emphasizes the unique nature of this discovery: "You can usually learn things about military systems by watching them do military things—sailing around on exercises, conducting weapons tests, that sort of thing," Korda explained. "It’s much more unusual to learn things about military systems—especially nuclear systems—in non-military settings."
The revelation of India’s nuclear shift, inadvertently disclosed through an unexpected source like social media, underscores the importance of staying vigilant in the face of escalating global tensions. It also highlights the power of open access information, demonstrating how seemingly innocuous online content can hold significant strategic implications. While the world continues to navigate the complex landscape of nuclear proliferation, the episode serves as a potent reminder: even the most closely guarded secrets can be revealed in the most unlikely places.
