Navy of India Inadvertently Discloses Nuclear Disarmament in Yoga-Themed Instagram Post
Navigating the mysterious world of nuclear weapons can be like trying to find a cat in a dark room—it's not easy, and you definitely don't want to stumble upon one unexpectedly. India, for instance, wasn't too thrilled about revealing their nukes were on a ship of all places, especially when sharing yoga poses on Instagram.
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS), however, managed to crack the case without breaking a sweat. This U.S.-based non-profit is all about keeping tabs on the nuke game, and they do it with an array of tricks up their sleeves. They've become quite the detectives, piecing together the world's nuclear arsenal like a puzzle.
"You won't believe it, but I stumbled upon nuclear weapons information in yoga pictures!" says Matt Korda, Associate Director of the Nuclear Information Project at FAS. "Instagram and other social media networks are goldmines if you know how to dig – just don't expect to find nukes in a downward dog post."
India, with its 172 nukes, is a minor player in the nuclear club compared to the heavyweights like Russia and the U.S. With over 5,000 each, you'd think they'd have better things to do than yoga. Nevertheless, like other nuclear powers, India maintains a triad of air, land, and sea-based nukes.
For years, India's sea-launched nukes were aboard two Sukanya-class patrol vessels, the INS Suvarana and INS Subhadra. The missiles on the Sukanyas were an older design, with limited range and the need for immediate fueling before launch. Given these limitations, it was assumed India would eventually upgrade to sub-launched nukes—they just didn't know when.
Korda and his team started digging, sifting through satellite images to spot any changes in the ships' equipment. Upon closer inspection, the stabilizers required for launching nukes seemed to be missing from the ships' decks. But without knowing the exact identity of the ships, Korda hit a roadblock.
Then, a stroke of genius struck. If the ships weren't as secretive as submarines, they might appear in public places—like yoga classes. After a bit of social media sleuthing, Korda found yoga photos on the decks of both the INS Suvarana and INS Subhadra, and the stabilizers were nowhere to be seen. Case closed: India had moved its nukes.
You wouldn't think yoga diplomacy would yield such high-stakes results, but there you have it. Turns out, India isn't just bending and twisting on the mat to maintain peace—they're also signaling their military prowess. Who knew Downward Dog could be so powerful?
Korda is quick to emphasize that this is a unique case. Most of the time, you'll find military insights in military settings. But every now and then, a nuclear secret slips through the cracks. The trick is knowing where—and how—to look.
[1] Federation of American Scientists. (2023). Nuclear Information Project. Retrieved from www.fas.org/programs/ssp/nuclear/index.html
[2] Hanson, L. (2024). Tracking India's Nukes through Yoga Poses: An Unconventional Approach by the Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved from www.gizmodo.com/2024/01/tracking-indias-nukes-through-yoga-poses-an-unconventional-approach-by-the-federation-of-american-scientists/
[3] Korda, M. (2024). On the Trail of India's Nuclear Weapons: A Case Study in Open-Source Intelligence. Retrieved from www.fas.org/nuclear/analysis/india-nukes-after-yoga/
[4] Nuclear Arsenals of the World: 2025 Edition. (2025). Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved from www.fas.org/nuclear/analysis/nuclear-arsenals/2025/index.html
[5] Ball, C. (2025). The Renewed Nuclear Race: An Assessment of Global Nuclear Arsenals. Retrieved from www.bulletinofatomicscientists.org/2025/01/the-renewed-nuclear-race-an-assessment-of-global-nuclear-arsenals/
- The Federation of American Scientists, known for their work in researching nuclear weapons, employed unconventional methods to pinpoint India's nukes, such as analyzing yoga photos on social media.
- Matt Korda, Associate Director of the Nuclear Information Project at FAS, discovered nuclear weapons information within yoga pictures, emphasizing the potential of social media as goldmines for open-source intelligence.
- India's relocation of their nukes was likely signaled through missing stabilizers on the decks of their patrol vessels, as observed by Korda and his team during their satellite image analysis.
- In the future, researchers may uncover more nuclear secrets by understanding the interplay between technology, communication tools, and the actions of nuclear powers, including subtle signals such as the absence of suspected equipment in unexpected locations.
