NEW DELHI: Iran has sought India’s assistance in building up its defence infrastructure according to top defence sources.
The areas include medium technology transfers maintenance and upgrading of communications and weapons facilities purchase of T72 tanks spares assistance and military training.
While feelers for defence tie-ups have been received by Delhi since over a year it is recently that Iran has embarked on concrete proposals for probable defence cooperation. Requests for Iranian defence requirements have been made both at the political and official levels the ideal forums being the Indo-Iran joint economic commission meets
Against this backdrop similar Iranian requests by Foreign Minister Dr.Ali Akbar Velayati who is in Delhi for the sixth round of Indo-Iran joint economic commission meeting are not ruled out.
Iran which is expected to spend $50 billion on its military over the next five years is reported to have singled out an estimated $15 billion for the current year for expanding its arms industry purchase new sophisticated equipment and develops its nuclear capabilities. It is reported to have already acquired 25 SU24 bombers 50 MIG2 a number of MIG31 and S27s 200 T72 main battle tank and three Kilo-class submarine from former Soviet Union Its armament purchases from China have been estimated at $5 billion during the past three years. Equipment has also been produced from Pakistan Taiwan and Germany. Notwithstanding an arms embargo by the US as Iran is still officially labeled a terrorist state sales of high-tech equipment worth $300 million was approved for Teheran by US commerce department in August 1991.
While massive arms have been purchased from diverse sources Iran maintains that a strong defence production and maintenance base is essential to complement their foreign procurement program ads make it self-sufficient. This was sought by Iran through the 1989 defence and economic agreement with the then Soviet Union and bilateral agreements with Czechoslovakia Romania East Germany and Portland to assist in the setting up of factories to produce armored vehicles antitank weapons and other systems With uncertainty looming large over the future of the erstwhile socialist states Teheran’s attention has naturally turned towards Delhi for seeking similar assistance. Besides having viable defence production base India is also the largest holder of former Soviet equipment outside the erstwhile communist bloc For this reason Teheran is anxious for defence infrastructural assistance from India The areas sought are diverse. Ranging from the establishments of static national communication grids hike the ASCON systems mobile over national and tactical AREN systems to technicians and military instructors to convert a still not-idly Iranian army into a professional force. It may be pointed out that Islamic Revolutionary Guards Comps is being amalgamated with the regular Iranian army.
The Indian response to repeated Iranian requests has so far been lukewarm. While a powerful section of the services headquarters is in favor of Tehran’s proposal the government is undecided Presentations given by the section inclined to assisting Teheran have urged that the opportunity available to wean away Teheran from Islamabad should be made good.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 20, 1992
