India's entry into the MTCR comes days after it failed to get Nuclear Suppliers Group membership due to stiff opposition from China and a few other countries.
India is all set to become member of Missile Technology Control Regime, a key anti-proliferation grouping, as it cleared final hurdles in getting membership of the bloc that will help it access high-end missile technology.
The move will boost India's efforts to purchase Predator drones from the US and export its high-tech missiles to friendly nations.
The new BrahMos missiles will be 'dual-role capable', which means warships can fire them at targets on land as well as at enemy warships.
The customs officials, based on an intelligence input, halted a Malta-flagged merchant ship -- CMA CGM Attila -- at the port en route to Karachi on January 23 and inspected the consignment, which included a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, originally manufactured by an Italian company.
India's entry into the Wassenaar Arrangement would enhance its credentials in the field of non-proliferation despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
India on Friday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed sub-sonic long range cruise missile, 'Nirbhay' from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha.
China continues to sell nuclear reactors to Pakistan, a US think-tank has said, expressing concern over export of nuclear materials in violation of international norms and established procedures.
'It is typical of China's strategic deception of making virtue out of necessity,' observes Rup Narayan Das.
India on Sunday sought South Korea's support in its bid for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other international regimes related to nuclear trade.
Significantly, China, which stonewalled India's entry into the 48-nation NSG at the just--concluded Seoul plenary, is not a member of 34-nation MTCR.
The proposal for undertaking joint technical development work for extending range beyond 300-km has been executed between India and Russia, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
The Australia Group seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons.
The MoD did not reveal the number of missiles procured through the latest contract.
However, this information was inadvertently revealed through an official MoD photograph that accompanied the announcement.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation has said that the extended range version of the Brahmos missile of 450 km is likely to be tested on March 10.
Negotiating the 123 agreement may be tough but well within reach, says nuclear expert Dinshaw Mistry.
'The message that we intend to leave with at the end of this trip is one of real gratitude for the friendship and the close partnership that President Biden and Prime Minister Modi have enjoyed over the last four years, but also one of tremendous optimism because we see a lot of opportunity in the future.'
'Even China and Russia would not challenge the technology apartheid unless India was able to enhance its relationship with the United States.'
It was for the first time that the missile, capable of travelling at speeds of up to Mach 3.0, or three times the speed of sound, was tested with indigenously developed 'seeker' technology.
It said the whole accord only contributed to the policy with New Delhi making a number of commitments to that effect.
India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan were the four UN member states which have not signed the NPT, the international pact aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.
The successful test will result in huge savings of replacement cost of missiles held in the inventory of the Indian Armed Forces.
The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation is a toothless mechanism, but it may well end up serving India's interests, says Ajay Lele.
The PM also welcomed South Korea's efforts to maintain peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.
Not just Vietnam, but other countries in the region like Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand, have also expressed an interest in acquiring the BrahMos cruise missile. Debalina Ghoshal explains the significance of the move.
Pakistan is allegedly working on an offensive chemical and biological warfare program with the help of its 'all-weather friend' China.
India has become the 37th country to join the list of Strategic Trade Authorization-1 category, the only South Asian nation.
China continued to stonewall India's entry harping on the need to have a criterion for countries like India which have not signed the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty and clubbing India's case with that of Pakistan for which it is batting.
The government on Friday came out with Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 which seeks to boost the country's exports to $2 trillion by 2030 by shifting from incentives to remission and entitlement based regime. Unlike the practice of announcing 5-year FTP, the latest policy has no end date and will be updated as and when needed, said Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Sarangi while briefing media about FTP 2023. Earlier, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal unveiled FTP 2023 which will come into effect from April 1, 2023.
The fleet of 40 Sukhoi jet will undergo structural modifications at the state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for integration of the missile on them.
The "understanding" between India and Japan on civil nuclear issue has "improved", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, after talks with his counterpart Shinzo Abe even as the much-anticipated remained deal remained elusive.
Sources indicated defence and national security initiatives.
With United States President Barack Obama firmly backing New Delhi's candidature for membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma on Wednesday said the former is very supportive of India's accession in all the four export control regimes, including the NSG, and is going to work hard to achieve the target.
Modi said that in the last four years the government has worked for creating a New India by 2022.
In an apparent dissatisfaction over Pakistan's opposition to India becoming a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the United States has said it is not about an arms race, but about civilian use of nuclear energy.
India will impress upon China, which had torpedoed its Nuclear Suppliers Group membership bid at the Seoul plenary,that taking care of each other's "interests and priorities" was the basis for forward movement in bilateral ties.
In any conflict with China, the unmanned BrahMos could be advantageously used in the opening stages for pinpoint strikes on heavily defended targets -- such as air bases, headquarters, key roads and railways or logistics dumps -- which are too dangerous for manned fighter aircraft to attack.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the Netherlands is a natural partner in India's economic development and thanked the key European nation for backing India's Missile Technology Control Regime membership.
The United States on Friday said that there is "a path forward" for India to become a full member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group by the end of the year, hours after the group's plenary meeting ended in Seoul with no decision on India's membership in face of strong China-led opposition.
'The onus is now on China to explain to the world why it feels Pakistan should accompany India on the question of NSG Membership!! China's not so covert help for Pakistan's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes will stand exposed,' says former ambassador G Parthasarathy.
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