Now, Russia to set up munitions shop in India

Russia will set up licensed production of tank and rocket artillery ammunitions in India, top arms trade officials said here.

“We are not only selling things, we are also setting up production facilities. Work has begun on establishing a joint venture in India to manufacture projectiles for Smerch multi-barrel mobile rocket launchers, ” Viktor Komardin, deputy head of Rosoboronexport, state arms exporter, told reporters at the Machine-Building Technologies-2012 defence show near here on Friday.

Smerch (Tornado) fires 300-mm rockets powered by solid fuel engines to distances in the 20-90-km range. The rockets are 7.6 metres long and weigh 800 kg, including a 100-kg warhead. India has 42 Smerch launchers.

Advanced tank ammunitions

Another deputy head, Igor Sevastyanov, said Russia was nearing a deal with India on supply and manufacture of advanced tank ammunitions.

“We have completed the first round of negotiations on the delivery of 3UBK20 (Mango) tank projectiles and will open the second round on Monday for their licensed production in India.”

Earlier this year, Russia signed $1 billion worth of contracts with India for supply of tank and artillery projectiles, anti-tank rockets and other ammunitions for land forces, business daily Vedomosti reported, citing defence industry sources.