SOME ARE INSIDE THE SHIELD:

US Willing To Talk To India About Supplying Missile Defence (AFP, Jun 16, 2005)

A US official said Thursday his government was willing to talk to India about supplying missile defence systems, but urged New Delhi to spell out regulatory mechanisms for controlling exports of sensitive technologies. [...]

India was a Cold War ally of the Soviet Union and maintains close ties with Iran, which the United States accuses of developing nuclear weapons and supporting Middle Eastern extremist groups.

Traditionally, it has bought most of its military equipment from Russia, France and Britain, but recently has shown interest in the military hardware of US defence firms.

The United States and India signed a landmark agreement last January to share advanced technology, including in peaceful nuclear applications.

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Indian navy on the crest of a wave (Sudha Ramachandran, 6/18/05, Asia Times)

India's naval power projection and maritime security have received a big boost with the commissioning of a giant new naval base - Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kadamba - on its Arabian Sea coast. INS Kadamba, which is India's third operational naval base after Mumbai and Vishakapatnam, is the first to be controlled exclusively by the Indian navy.

INS Kadamba is Phase I of the Indian navy's ambitious US$8.13 billion Project Seabird. Situated at Karwar, 100 kilometers south of Goa, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, INS Kadamba is being described as the biggest base of its kind this side of the Suez.

When completed, it will be Asia's largest naval base, with the capacity to berth more than 22 ships, including the 44,000-ton aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov purchased from the Russians (and renamed INS Vikramaditya), as well as the indigenous nuclear-powered submarine, the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV). Spread over 11,200 acres, Project Seabird will include a naval base, an air force station, a naval armament depot, a ship-lift system, missile silos and a full-fledged ship repair yard.