The Chagai Hills, also known as Chagai Nuclear Test Site (CNTS), are the graphite and rocky mountainous region in the north-western of Balochistan Province of Pakistan. A region lying just south of the Helmand and Nimruz provinces of southern Afghanistan; and the range, at its western end, lying east of Iran's Sistan va Baluchistan province. The mountains and hills are carved by innumerable channels which contain water only after rains, though little water reaches the low-lying basins. The region is surrounded by adjacent desert areas.
Chagai Hills are located in the further north-western area of the Chagai District of Balochistan Province of Pakistan.[1] Its highest point, rise to a height of 9,367ft (3,009m) above sea level.[1] Chagai Hills are one of the most-known remote areas of Pakistan, and its temperature are reported to extremely hot in the summer and severely cold in the winter.[1] In the winter, Chagai Hills are often compare to Siberia (Russia) and Alaska (United States).[1] The difference between day and night temperature is considerable and the climatic conditions vary from area to area.[1] Since the district falls outside the sphere of monsoon currents, the rainfall is irregular and scanty.[1] The annual average rainfall in the district is 104 mm measured over the years 1993 - 1995.[1] In the same period the average minimum temperature was 2.4°C in January and maximum temperature 42.5°C in July.[1]
Plans to conduct tests were began by Münir Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in 1975. The PAEC's Directorate for Geological and Seismic Development (GSD) completed the survey finding a suitable locations for the weapon-testings site. In 1976, after the formal reported was submitted, Munir Ahmad Khan summoned dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Director-General of Nuclear Physics Group (NPG) and Dr. Ahsan Mubarak, Director-General Geological and Seismic Development (GSD) and, tasked them for the selection of the nuclear test sites[2]. In 1976, Bhutto directed an electronic telegram, through Army Generals Headquarter (GHQ), to Brigadier-General Mühammad Sarfraz, Chief of Staff of the V Corps.[2] The message was to make an availability of a Mil Mi-8, an army helicopter, to a forthcoming team of civilian scientists from PAEC for operational reconnaissance mission of some areas in Balochistan Province.[2] At 04:00 a.m., the small teams of physicists and seismologist landed at the Samungli Air Force Base and at 06:00 hours, the Mil Mi-8 took off the teams under Ishfaq Ahmad and Dr. Ahsan Mubarak.[2] Over a span of three days, the PAEC scientists reconnoitered, several times, the area between Turbat, Awaran and Khüsdar to the south, Naukundi to the east and Kharan to the west.[2] One of the objective was to find a suitable place for an underground tests, preferably a mountain. After a hectic and careful survey, the mountain was discovered at Ras Koh Hills, an area completely independent from Chagai Hills.[2] It is noted that Ras Koh Hills are not located in Chagai Hills and independent from the region. But, because Ras Koh Hills are located in Chagai District, it is often confused with Chagai Hills.[2]
With incoming Martial Law Administrator General Rahimüddin Khan, the PAEC began constructed its iron-steel underground tunnels in 1977 and PAEC completed its construction in 1979.[2] The task was undertaken by Corps of Engineers's Special Development Works (SDW) and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), the special units of military scientists and engineers, headed by Lieutenant-General Zähid Ali Acbar and Brigadier-General Muhammad Sarfaraz, directly reporting to the Pakistan Army's Generals Headquarters (GHQ).[2] The primary task of the organization was to prepare underground test sites (both horizontal and vertical shafts) for 20-kilotonne nuclear devices, with all the allied infrastructure and facilities.[2] The sites had to be designed in such a way that they could be utilized at short notice (in less than a week) and were to be completed by December 1979 at the latest [2].
Long before the tests be concluded, American authors William E. Burrows and Robert Windrem, published their books, Critical Mass, in 1994.[3] Through this book, Chagai Hills nexus with nuclear deterrent programme of Pakistan became in international limelight and notice. [3]However, despite of its popularity, none of the nuclear tests were conducted neither the experiments were performed there.[4] However, because the related mountains in which the tests were performed and conducted.[4]The global intelligences thought as Chagai to be premium test site for the weapon-testings.[4] The tests were followed as India surprisingly conducted the tests of its own nuclear devices —codename Operation Shakti— on May 11th and May 13th, the Pokhran-II, in the Pokhran Army Test Range (PATR) located in the Rajasthan State, an eastern border of Pakistan.[4][4][4]After Prime minister Nävaz Schärief attended the National Security Council's session, Schärief ordered and gave authorization to the academic scientists at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to conduct a nuclear test operation of its own.[2] Following the orders, scientists from Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), Defence Science and Technology Organization (DESTO), Corps of Engineers and Military Engineering Service (MES) also joined PAEC in the efforts. Ordered by Prime minister Schärief, No. 11 Squadron Arrows was put on high-alert and the No. 6 Squadron Globe Trotters flown the nuclear devices, in sub-assembly form, to Chagai Hills.[2] Meanwhile, the Ahsan Naval Base and the Naval Observatory was also at red-alert level providing electronic intelligence services to the Pakistan Armed Forces.[2]
On May 25th, the preparations were completed by PAEC, and iron-steel tunnels were closed with mixed sand-cement. [4] On May 26, the iron-steel tunnels were electronically plugged, and on May 27th, ement had completely dried out due to the excessive heat of the summer desert as the engineers had certified that the concrete had hardened and the site was fit for the tests it was communicated to the Prime Minister via the GHQ that the site was ready.[2] The Naval Observatory sat the time and date for operation's rendezvous with destiny was set for 15:00 p.m. on 28 May 1998.[2]
On May 28th, the PAEC conducted a nuclear tests of five nuclear devices, exploded simultaneously, at 15:00 hours. This operation was named Chagai-I and all of these nuclear devices used HEU, evidently made from KRL, and had Beryllium reflectors.[2]
After the tests, the Pakistan Government did not issued any additional details about exact locations of where the tests were performed.[1] Chagai Hills is an extensive and dangerous areas and the sites are not under the safeguards or inspections of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). [1]