Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has ruled out any move to convert the short range surface-to-surface Prithvi missile into an anti-missile or a nuclear shield.
"There are no plans to integrate Prithvi missile with the Israeli Greenpine radar as a defence cover in respect of a nuclear threat," the defence minister told the Rajya Sabha in written answer on Wednesday.
The minister's reply assumes significance amidst reports that the Defence Research and Development Organisation has been working on a project to develop an anti-missile shield. But experts feel that Prithvi, with its liquid base propellent, does not fit the bill.
While working on development of an indigenous system, India is also looking to acquire such a system from abroad with the United States administration now offering it the advanced Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile system.
Indicating this, Mukherjee said that during the recent bilateral discussions, Washington had conveyed its willingness to enter into defence supply, co-production and research and development relationship in areas of advanced defence technologies with India.
On whether the country proposed to increase the range of the Prithvi missile from 150 km to 350 km, he said the missile already had a range exceeding 150 km.
