India to buy Russian missile technology?

WASHINGTON, MARCH 28. India is likely to procure an advanced ballistic missile guidance technology from Russia which would `radically' improve the accuracy of its weapons.

Disclosing this in an exclusive report from Abu Dhabi, Defense News of the United States Government said the electro-optical guided missile warhead, developed originally for Scud missiles and later versions, would improve the accuracy of Indian ballistic missiles.

The same type of seeker is used on Russia's Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, which is also being offered for export.

The Defense News, quoting Russian industry sources, said the Moscow-based Central Scientific and Research Institute of Automatics and Hydraulics, which had developed the seeker, was negotiating the sale of its variant with India. The electro- optical seeker warhead could be fitted to a ballistic missile in ways that could breach the Missile Control Technology Regime guidelines.

A Washington newsweekly quoted an Indian defence official as saying that no assistance had been provided to India by Moscow so far.

They would discuss the issue during the next round of the Indo- Russian Joint Commission on Military Cooperation scheduled next month in New Delhi.

- UNI

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