India Considering Purchasing Israeli, Russian Ballistic Missiles

Indian military planners are considering purchasing Israeli or Russian ballistic missiles to counter developments in Pakistan’s missile arsenal, Defense News reported today (see GSN, March 31).

The Indian Defense Ministry has been involved in discussions with Israeli and Russian export officials for several months, Indian military officials said.  They added that an Indian Army artillery team is scheduled to visit both countries this week for demonstrations of two missile systems.  Ultimately, India could purchase as many as 36 Israeli or Russian missiles for as much as $800 million, Defense News reported.

The Russian missile system being considered by Indian defense officials is the Iskander-E — a solid-fueled, single-stage missile with a range of 280 kilometers and capable of carrying a payload of up to 480 kilograms, according to an Indian defense source.  The missile is deployed on a land-mobile launcher that is capable of carrying two missiles. 

India is also considering purchasing the Israeli-made Long Range Artillery (LORA) system, which has a range of more than 300 kilometers depending on the type of warhead used, the source said.  The LORA system is capable of carrying a payload of up to 600 kilograms.  Israel, however, has not yet approved a possible sale of the system to India, and the LORA system is not included in an annual catalogue of defense exports published by the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Sibat Arms Export Bureau, according to Defense News.

A recently retired Israeli general has said that the export of the LORA system would not violate the Missile Technology Control Regime, which seeks to prevent ballistic missile proliferation by establishing common export control laws among members.  The regime restricts the exports of missile systems and technology capable of delivering a 500-kilogram payload more than 300 kilometers.  While Israel is not an MTCR member, it has said that it abides by the regime’s restrictions, Defense News reported.

U.S. officials and some nonproliferation experts have warned that India’s possible purchase of Israeli and Russian missiles could further destabilize relations with Pakistan.

“This will have to be viewed in Washington and in the international community as a bright red line, particularly if these missiles are mobile and solid-fueled,” said Theresa Hitchens, vice president of the Center for Defense Information.  “It will force Pakistan to make some kind of countermove,” she said (Opall-Rome/Raghuvanshi, Defense News, Sept. 22).

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Iran Displays Shahab 3 Ballistic Missiles in Military Parade

Iran today displayed seven Shahab 3 ballistic missiles during a military parade held to mark the anniversary of its 1980-1988 war with Iraq, according to Agence France-Presse (see GSN, July 23).

The missiles, which have a range of 1,300 kilometers and can carry a payload of up to 1,000 kilograms, were decorated with slogans such as “We will crush America under our feet” and “Israel must be wiped off the map,” AFP reported.  The Shahab 3 formally entered into service in the Iranian military in July (Agence France-Presse, Sept. 22).

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United States Penalizes Chinese Firm for Exporting Missile Technology

By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — The United States has imposed sanctions against a Chinese firm for alleged missile technology sales, according to a notice published today in the Federal Register (see GSN, July 30).

Last month, the United States determined that the state-owned China North Industries Corp. (Norinco) had engaged in missile technology proliferation activities, according to the notice (see GSN, July 3).  Under the sanctions, which take effect today, Norinco will be prohibited from importing items controlled by the Missile Technology Control Regime annex or the Export Administration Act of 1979 and from entering into contracts with Washington relating to such items for two years.  Norinco is also banned from exporting all goods to the United States for two years.

Norinco is no stranger to U.S. sanctions, having been sanctioned twice for alleged missile-related transfers in the last four months.  In July, the company was sanctioned for allegedly transferring items to Iran that could make a “material contribution” to Tehran’s WMD or ballistic missile programs.  In May, the United States sanctioned Norinco for allegedly aiding Iran’s ballistic missile program (see GSN, May 23).  Norinco, however, has denied providing missile assistance to other countries. 

Today’s notice does not identify the alleged recipient of the missile technology transfer that triggered the latest sanctions.

In late July, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Verification and Compliance Paula DeSutter called on China to do more to curb ballistic missile exports, calling such exports the “most significant proliferation concern” the United States has with China (see GSN, July 28).  During a hearing of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, DeSutter identified Norinco as a “serial proliferator.”

“For some time, we have been alerting the Chinese government to our concerns about the activities of Norinco,” DeSutter said.  “Nonetheless, the Chinese government appears to have taken no action to halt Norinco’s proliferant behavior,” she added.

Today’s announced sanctions would also apply for two years against all other Chinese state-owned entities engaged in activities related to the development of ballistic missiles, electronics, space systems and military aircraft, according to the notice.  The U.S. State Department determined, however, that it is “essential to the national security of the United States” to waive the additional sanctions for one year, the notice says.

“These are the strongest sanctions we’ve ever imposed on China,” the Washington Times today quoted a State Department official as saying.

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