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India continues N-weapons programme: CIA

T V Parasuram in Washington

India continues its nuclear weapons development programme and the acquisition of foreign equipment could help New Delhi in developing and producing more sophisticated weapons, the United States Central Intelligence Agency has said.

"India continues to rely on foreign assistance for key missile and dual-use technologies, where it still lacks engineering or production expertise," the agency said in a report to the Congress.

During the first half of 2000, India obtained from Russia some assistance for its nuclear power programme, it said.

"Entities in Russia and western Europe remained the primary conduits of missile-related technology transfers during the first half of 2000."

Although many of its key programmes have been plagued by delays, India continues an across-the-board modernisation of its armed forces through advanced conventional weapons, mostly acquired from Russia, the agency said.

PTI

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