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India links partnership to arms sales by France

Amit Baruah

PARIS: India and France are keen on jointly developing cruise missiles, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told presspersons after talks with his French counterpart, Michele Alliot-Marie, here on Monday.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been talking to MBDA, the French-European missile manufacturer, and is close to reaching a technical arrangement for joint development.

During the talks at the Defence Ministry, India expressed interest in French participation in the co-production of state-of-the-art weapons, sensors, communications and surveillance systems.

Mr. Mukherjee linked the Indo-French strategic partnership with that of arms sales by Paris to Pakistan and China. New Delhi, he said, would like a French response to a strategic partnership with India to be reflected in its arms sales policies to China and Pakistan and investment in India's defence industry.

New Delhi is using this clout to restrict French arms sales not just to Pakistan, but China as well. According to Indian officials, if the French sell, for instance, submarines to both New Delhi and Islamabad, it creates a major issue.

Mr. Mukherjee raised with Ms. Alliot-Marie the issue of export clearances for the transfer of technology relating to "ring laser gyro," a component used in high-tech navigation systems. He also referred to "proposals" relating to the Air Force, and pointed out that certain technologies had either not been provided or were withdrawn by the French side. On the Scorpene submarine deal, the French agreed to set up a "task force" to enable the implementation of the contract signed last year.

India said it had no intention of withdrawing its contingent from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. The French not only command the UNIFIL but have also taken the lead in sending additional troops to beef up the force.

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