Smiling Buddha
Operation Smiling Buddha or Operation Happy Krishna (MEA designation: Pokhran-I) was the assigned code name of India's first successful nuclear bomb test on 18 May 1974. The bomb was detonated on the army base Pokhran Test Range (PTR), in Rajasthan, by the Indian Army under the supervision of several key Indian generals.
| Pokhran-I Smiling Buddha | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | India |
| Test site | Pokhran Test Range (IA) |
| Coordinates | 27°04′44″N 71°43′21″E |
| Period | 18 May 1974, 8:05 a.m. (IST) |
| Number of tests | 1 |
| Test type | Underground shaft |
| Device type | Fission |
| Max. yield | 8–10 kilotons of TNT (33–42 TJ) |
| Test chronology | |
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1966–1977 1980–1984
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Pokhran-I was also the first confirmed nuclear weapons test by a nation outside the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Officially, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) characterised this test as a "peaceful nuclear explosion". Indira Gandhi, then the Prime Minister of India, saw a massive rise in popularity following this test. After this, a series of nuclear tests were carried out in 1998 under the name Pokhran-II.