By IndiaExpress Bureau
India is planning to sell missiles to "friendly countries" soon
according to media reports that quoted defence sources.
The systems earmarked for export include cruise and anti-tank
guided missiles, which will not violate international laws
governing the sale of missiles -- such as the Missile Technology
Control Regime, the reports said.
In January, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said several
countries were interested in buying the BrahMos missile, which
India is developing with Russia.
The BrahMos is a 280-kilometre range cruise missile meant for
Indian warships and submarines.
The state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) was exploring the
option of exporting subsystems of the homegrown surface-to-surface
Prithvi missile.
Exporting the entire missile could have security implications for
India, which was why the sale of subsystems was being considered,
the report said.
"The missile will go to Singapore but from there
we do not know what its final destination is," the paper quoted an
unidentified BDL official as saying.
"This is a big problem owing to which we can only export
subsystems."
BDL has secured orders from Malaysia and a number
of other countries had also shown interest in buying missiles from
India, the report added.
The prices for some types of missiles -- around Rs 420,000 -- are
far less than those quoted in the international market, the report
added.
In February, BDL and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space
Company unveiled plans to jointly manufacture missiles for
export.
http://www.indiaexpress.com/news/national/20030502-2.html[/b]
