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India, Israel to develop anti-aircraft missiles
Yet more evidence that India knows who its friends are in troubled times ... and who amongst its friends can actually help.
NEW DELHI - India will jointly build a surface-to-air missile with its second biggest weapons supplier Israel and hopes for such collaborations with other countries, the defence minister said Wednesday. ‘A project has been finalised with (state-run) Israeli Aerospace Industry for the joint development of a futuristic long range surface-to-air missile,’ Defence Minister A.K. Antony announced in parliament.

He did not give details of the project but others said New Delhi earlier this month had approved the 625-million-dollar joint venture with the Jewish state to build the anti-aircraft missiles for the Indian navy.

Antony said India’s ambitious missile development programme launched in 1983 was nearing its completion following the successful trials and mass production of an array of ballistic and guided missiles. ‘The country’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme has not been abandoned, but it is now near completion,’ Antony said. ‘India has received a number of offers for the joint collaboration in various kinds of missiles from various countries,’ Antony said without giving details.

Antony meanwhile said India was giving up a project to locally build a short-range surface-to-air missile called Trishul (Trident). The project has been dogged by frequent failures during trials in the past few years.
Posted by: Steve White 2008-02-28
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=230817