International

Artillery purchase pact with Moscow revived

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW FEB. 21 . India has revived a 1999 contract for the purchase of Russian-built smart artillery shells, Krasnopol-M, suspended in the fallout of the Tehelka tapes. In early March, the St. Petersburg-based LOMO optronic company is to deliver self-homing devices for 2,000 India-bound Krasnopol-M shells manufactured at the KBM factory in Tula near Moscow, the company's General Director, Arkady Kobitsky, told reporters in St. Petersburg. He put the total value of the contract at $80 million, with LOMO's share constituting 25 per cent of the sum.

The LOMO chief was quoted by the ABM news agency as saying that his company was to manufacture the homing devices last year, but the deal was suspended after the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, who approved the purchase, was forced to step down. By that time, Russia had supplied 1,000 Krasnopol-M shells to India. The Russian side had to change the shell propellant and make some changes after they failed firing trials in the mountains in India. According to the LOMO chief, Krasnopol-M showed a 100-per cent hitting accuracy during tests in France at the end of 2000.

The contract with India was revived after a recent visit to India by the former Deputy Prime Minister, Ilya Klebanov, who co-chairs with Mr. Fernandes the Intergovernmental Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation, Mr. Kobitsky said. The LOMO chief also said talks were under way with India for the sale of an additional 8,000 Krasnopol-M shells and a license for their manufacture.

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