Brahmos missile project: India and Russia at loggerheads over IPRs
Thursday 19-05-2005
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: The India-Russian Brahmos missile project is in jeopardy, as the two countries have locked horns over the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) pact. Touted as superior to conventional cruise missiles, like the Tomahawk, the BrahMos (a conjunction of the words Brahmaputra and Moskva, names of rivers) with a range of 280 kilometres travels at supersonic speed.
… The Brahmos is actually based on the Russian Yokhant missile and Hindustan provides its inertial navigation system. It has been earmarked for export to “friendly” countries.
Between January and May, Moscow and New Delhi have twice done a back-and-forth on drafting an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) agreement. Russia is India’s largest supplier of military hardware, supplying over 60 percent of equipment to the Indian Armed Forces. But India’s recent attempts to look for supplies from Israel and other countries have made Russians suspicious of New Delhi’s intentions.
The Russians are insisting on signing of a stringent secrecy clause before military relations can be taken to higher levels involving co-production of equipment on the model of the collaboration for the Brahmos missile, said sources. They want these provisions at two levels: firstly, at the level of co-production arrangements for equipment in Indiani ordnance factories and secondly, Moscow is also wary of India passing on information of Russian weapons platforms by upgrading them with Israeli technology or from former Soviet Bloc countries such as Uzbekistan.
“We want more flexibility in the agreement,” said Defence Secretary Ajay Vikram Singh said recently. He visited Moscow recently and presented an alternate draft to the Russians. He said that India wanted flexibility to make changes in the equipment to suit its climate and needs. The Russians are not allowing minor modifications like air conditioning of T-90 tanks, necessary to operate them in Rajasthan and Kutch deserts.
Besides Brahmos, Russia’s insistence of involvement in all upgrades of their equipment hits India’s plans to purchase three airborne early warning and control systems (AWACS) from Israel, upgrading 125 MiG-21 and 27 fighters and the Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_19-5-2005_pg7_1
If Hindustan doesn’t sort out it’s obsolete weaponary soon, it’ll end up getting thrawted by Pakistan in a surprise attack!
can I throw color on you too,