India to consider buying US arms

Washington announced Friday it was lifting a ban on sales of F-16 fighters to Pakistan -- imposed in 1990 as a sanction against its nuclear weapons program -- to demonstrate support for a major ally in the war on terrorism.

India expressed "great disappointment," saying it "could have negative consequences for India's security environment," but later added India and the United States had agreed to a series of steps to boost defence and energy ties.

The foreign ministry said as part of the agreement, Washington had approved US defence companies to bid for combat aircraft that India might want to buy and was considering offering India technology for civilian nuclear energy.

"This is the first time we have received an offer from USA," Pranab Mukherjee told reporters. "Naturally, when the offer is there, it will have to be actively considered by the government of India keeping in view the requirements of our armed forces."

"Though earlier we used to have sometimes some equipment of high technology, never before an offer of such sophisticated equipment including planes and others were made which have been made now."

But he added: "One point I would like to emphasise, we have no intention of joining the arms race."

India and the United States were foes during the Cold War, and India has traditionally bought military hardware from Russia, but in recent years the world's largest democracies have forged a new relationship, expanding defence and economic ties.

New Delhi has bought artillery finding radars from the United States that are being deployed on the Line of Control that divides disputed Kashmir with Pakistan, and is eyeing the Patriot missile systems as a deterrent to its nuclear-armed neighbour.

India has in the past relied heavily on French and Russian fighters but is now seeking to diversify.

Its MiG fighters, a legacy of close Cold War relations between Moscow and New Delhi, have also been controversial in recent years because of their numerous accidents.