Pak's illegally modified missiles a new threat for India: Report

[RPK]

Harpoon issue: US says Pak has agreed for 'mutual inspections'- Hindustan Times

Responding to "serious" American concerns about illegal modifications made by Pakistan to the US-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles that could target India, Islamabad has agreed for "mutual inspections" of the weapon system.

This was disclosed on Tuesday by US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs PJ Crowley, who said that the Obama Administration has taken up the matter with Pakistan.

His comments came two days after the New York Times reported that Pakistan had illegally modified the Harpoon
anti-ship missile to expand its capacity to strike land targets for potential use against India.

"This is something that we take very seriously. We have raised the issue with the Pakistani government. The
(Pakistan) government has responded with an agreement in principle for mutually agreed inspections," Crowley told PTI
when asked about the Times report.

"In this particular case, we have some concerns. We shared them with the government of Pakistan. The government of
Pakistan has been responsive," he said, adding "we would wait and see if those inspections can address the concerns that we have raised."

The newspaper, quoting unnamed Administration officials, had said the US also accused Pakistan of modifying American-made P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft for land-attack missions in a violation of the American laws, including the Arms Control Export Act.

"I am not going to talk about specific issues, brought up in the story. We watch this closely. These are important
agreements. This is not about any one country. With any country with which we exchange our defence articles, we have
this kind of agreement," Crowley said.

"When we have concerns about how those systems should be used, we raise these concerns with the appropriate
governments," he noted.

The violations by Pakistan were first noted by the American intelligence agencies on April 23, The New York Times
said, when Pakistan had an unannounced suspicious missile test, that appeared to give the country a new offensive
weapon. Pakistan has denied those charges.

The modified version of the missile would be a significant new entry into Pakistan's arsenal against India as
these would enable its small navy to strike targets on land in India, this complementing the sizable land-based missile
arsenal that Pakistan has developed, it had said.

The Congress is in the final stages of taking a decision on providing $7.5 billion in civilian aid to Pakistan in
the next five years. The latest expose has the potential to "derail" this, the daily said.

Crowley said the Administration is keeping the Congress fully informed on this issue. Asked if this would have any
impact on the future of US aid to Pakistan, he said: "I would like to take one step at a time. We have raised some concerns.

It has been done at the highest levels over lengthy period of time. As we gain more facts, (we) will understand its
potential implications."

 

[Rage]

I seriously don't understand what you're all whining about. Pakistan's missile inventory has several different types of missiles, which can reach almost every corner of your country and yet some of you are scared by this small development? There's the Ghauri & Shaheen series, along with the Babur cruise missiles, Pakistan doesn't need to waste time on aeging & rotting Harpoons when our arsenal is already big enough.

We are not "whining" about anything boy. Your illegal modification of US missiles sets a precedent. You have just demonstrated your ability to circumvent all rules of end user license agreements and the US Arms Control Export Act, to which you are a signatory. Furthermore, this pilfered design would complement your land-based missile arsenal, enabling your small navy to strike at land targets with the 165 or so Harpoons you have received since the Cold war, the Babur/Hatf-VII only having commenced serial production in 2005 and not yet being in deployment with the Pakistani Navy. Does that change the strategic balance somewhat? You're damn right it does! A new chapter in the arms race is in the offing.


At the focus of these concerns is the subtext about your conventional and nuclear missile proliferation through illegal means, setting a precedent that only a technologically renegade state would. And if you think this is merey the first instance, you are highly mistaken- you have been accused of modifiying P-3C Orions to strike land-based targets in the past. This is yet another potentially unauthorized modification of a maritime anti-ship defensive capability to an offensive land-attack munition.


Of the 165 Harpoons you have procured or received thus far, only 37 obtained between 1985 and 1988 are of the older generation. Of the balance, you have up to as many as 40 tactical Block II Air Launched All-Up-Round Harpoon missiles, 30 encapsulated Block II missiles and 10 tactical Block II Grade B AUR missiles in various stages of procurement. Why is this a concern? Because the large warhead of the Harpoon and the (GPS)/inertial navigation system, coupled with its incoporation of the inertial measurment system from the JDAM program, make it a potent attack capability.


ON THE OTHER HAND, it seems unlikely that you would court such pother by modifying a missile with a 120 km range. The Harpoon does not have the required range to justify it as a land-attack missile. It can however not be dismissed as a stop-gap capability until your other missile programs are inducted in any numbers. Robert Hewson, editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, suggested that the "the ship-to-shore missile that Pakistan was testing (Babur/Hatf-VII) was part of a concerted effort to develop an array of conventional missiles that could be fired from the air, land or sea to address India’s much more formidable conventional missile arsenal." One would ordinarily not see the need of you going through the unusual trouble of reverse engineering a short-range sea-sea missile for an augmented land-attack capability. You've also taken the highly risk-imbued step of inviting US officials to inspect your Harpoon inventory, for whcih you were rightly commended. But the furore over this issue has the potential to scuttle the multifaceted 7.5 billion dollar "aid pacakge" which currently has its House and Senate versions being reconciled by US Congressional aids. I would not be surprised if this "unnamed leak" came from the India Caucasus in preparation for the Congressional vote on the legislation after recess this September. Or it could be a popular Republican negotiating tactic- with a lethal narrative inspired by "the stick" accompanying the "carrot" to enable US negotiators to achieve their ends- in this case expanding the "war on terrorism" in Pakistan.

 

[Rage]

Harpoon missile modification very serious: US

PTI 1 September 2009, 11:13am IST

WASHINGTON: The US has taken "very seriously" the reports about illegal modifications made in the American-made Harpoon anti-ship missile by
Pakistan, to expand capabilities to strike land targets, a potential threat to India, even as Islamabad has agreed for "mutual inspections".

"This is something that we take very seriously. We have raised the issue with the Pakistani government. The (Pak) government has responded with an agreement in principle for mutually agreed inspections," the assistant secretary of state for public affairs P J Crowley, said when asked about a news report published in The New York Times.

In a news report published August 30, The New York Times, quoting unnamed American official, said the US has accused Pakistan of illegally modifications in the Harpoon anti-ship missile to expand its capacity to strike land targets, a potential threat to India. Between 1985 and 1988 the Ronald Reagan administration delivered 165 Harpoon missiles to Pakistan.

"In this particular case, we have some concerns. We shared them with the government of Pakistan. The government of Pakistan has been responsive," Crowley said.

"We would wait and see if those inspections can address the concerns that we have raised," he said. The US has also accused Pakistan of modifying American-made P-3C aircraft for land-attack missions. Both are violations of the US law, including the Arms Control Export Act.

"I am not going to talk about specific issues, brought up in the story. We watch this closely. These are important agreements. This is not about any one country. With any country with which we exchange our defence articles, we have this kind of agreement," Crowley said.

"When we have concerns about how those systems should be used, we raise these concerns with the appropriate governments," he noted.

The violation by Pakistan were first noted by American intelligence agencies on April 23, The New York Times said, when Pakistan had an unannounced suspicious missile test, that appeared to give the country a new offensive weapon.

The modified version of the missile would be a significant new entry into Pakistan's arsenal against India as these would enable its small navy to strike targets on land in India, this complementing the sizable land-based missile arsenal that Pakistan has developed.

Since early this year, when the Obama administration had proposed to triple the non-military aid and also increase its military assistance to Pakistan, a number of US lawmakers have been making similar charges against Pakistan and demanding that any military aid to the country should be conditional.

The Congress is in the final stages of taking a decision on providing USD 7.5 billion in civilian aid to Pakistan. The latest expose has the potential to "derail" this, the daily said.

Crowley said the administration is keeping the Congress full informed on this issue. When asked if this would have any impact on the future of US aid to Pakistan, he said:

"I would like to take one step at a time. We have raised some concerns. It has been done at the highest levels over lengthy period of time. As we gain more facts, will understand its potential implications."


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...y-Pak-very-serious-US/articleshow/4957845.cms


Related Articles

Pakistan rapidly ramping up India-specific nuclear arsenal

Pak's nuke warheads may number 70-90: Report

Pak pushes for lend-lease plan for arms with US

Pak modified Harpoon to strike India: US officials

No modification made to Harpoon missile: Pakistan


Times of India

 

[ZOOM]

The Pakistanis know quite well that US will not do anything as they are the only access route to resupply NATO troops. This gives them the boldness to do these kind of things. As soon as America and the NATO pulls out from Afghanistan then Pakistan will be in deep trouble. They want to make use of the existing situation to the full. As soon as NATO pulls out of Afghanistan get ready for a war with India. Because all the times Pakistan attacks India to divert the people's attention towards the internal turmoil. It is hate of India that binds the lower class Pakistanis together. So this will be used. If the top echelons of Pakistan arent greedy and are sane enough to protect their country they wont do it.

Satish, for your information, US has already manage to convince Russia to give access to its infrastructure through Commonwealth states in order to have a supply route to the afganistan. Even Russians have given nod to the same and are rather cooperating US through this supply route.

 

[ppgj]

Satish, for your information, US has already manage to convince Russia to give access to its infrastructure through Commonwealth states in order to have a supply route to the afganistan. Even Russians have given nod to the same and are rather cooperating US through this supply route.

but still the US needs pakistan forces to fight for them on the ground.so importance of pakistan is still relevant and will remain so.i agree with satish.

 

[ZOOM]

but still the US needs pakistan forces to fight for them on the ground.so importance of pakistan is still relevant and will remain so.i agree with satish.

First of all linking Pakistani Utility in afganistan for US and Pak's duplication of Harpoons is highly irrelevant.

 

[ppgj]

First of all linking Pakistani Utility in afganistan for US and Pak's duplication of Harpoons is highly irrelevant.

the point is pakistan uses its "usefullness to US' in the war on terror for its own benefits-by playing the double,getting mil aid etc..

 

[shankarosky]

all anti ship missiles like harpoon are essentially surface to surface missiles so modifying the attack profile from ship to ship or air to ship to air to land is not very difficult.Rewriting the a logarithm is difficult more problematic is the modification of the seeker head which need to seek out the target in a more cluttered ground environment -even for brahmos a fully developed missile it took time so dont think the pak modified harpoon will be very effective as a land attack missile

 

[1.44]

Congress notified about Harpoon modifications by Pak
​

Washington: The Obama Administration has notified the US Congress about the potential violation of a key arms export act by Pakistan for illegally modifying the Harpoon anti-ship missile, a weapon that could target India.
"We have notified Congress of potential violations of obligations entered in pursuant to the Arms Control Export Control Act to ensure that key leaders are provided information on US efforts to address them," said the State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly.

Between 1985 and 1988 the Ronald Reagan administration delivered 165 Harpoon missiles to Pakistan.

Responding to question about a new report in The New York Times that Pakistan has illegally modified Harpoon missile, Kelly said the Obama administration has taken those reports very seriously.

"We have seen these reports in 'The New York Times'. We take the possibility of any potential violations of obligations entered into pursuant to the Arms Export Control Act – we take these allegations very seriously," Kelly said.

Noting that the Administration has engaged the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels in this regard, Kelly said: "We recently negotiated an agreement in principle to establish mutually agreed inspections to address possible modifications to any arms that we have transferred."

Bureau Report
US Congress notified about Harpoon modifications by Pak

 

[RPK]

Harpoon modifications threaten Indo-Pak ties: US lawmaker- Hindustan Times

The illegal modifications in the anti-ship Harpoon missiles is a provocative and destabilising action by Islamabad and threatens the "delicate" India-Pakistan ties, an influential US lawmaker has said.

"If (recent media reports are) true, the modification of these missiles would be a violation of the Arms Export Control Act. In addition, this would be yet another provocative and destabilising action which threatens the delicate relationship between India and Pakistan," Congressman Edward Markey has said.

Amidst reports appearing in the US media, which has been confirmed by the US Administration, that Pakistan has illegally modified the American-made Harpoon missiles to expand its striking capability, Markey, sought off a letter to the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing his concern.

Though Islamabad has denied the charges, the US has said that it has entered into an agreement with Pakistan for a mutually agreed inspection of the missiles in questions.

Markey, founder of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation, in a letter to Clinton sought information on published reports that Pakistan may have illegally modified US-exported Harpoon missiles to give them a land-attack capability.

"The nascent nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan is extraordinarily worrisome, as both countries appear to be increasing their ability to manufacture weapons," Markey wrote in the letter.

 

[s_bman]

'Somebody in the state dept is bent on arming Pakistan'
Josy Joseph / DNA
Monday, August 31, 2009 2:50 IST
Email Email
Print Print
Share Share

New Delhi: Islamabad's illegal modification of Harpoon missiles for attack against land targets in India is symbolic of Pakistan military's obsession with India. But Indian military sources say, the worse is the continuing American military assistance to Pakistan in the name of terrorism that in reality is arming its military for a conventional war against India.

"It is a matter of finer nuance (if Harpoon has been modified). But what we are worried about, and what we have been repeatedly telling the Americans, is that all the systems they have been supplying to Pakistan after 9/11 has nothing to do with terrorism. They are all arms meant for a conventional scenario (against India)," says a senior army general.

A recently retired military chief says the US military leadership "understands what we [India] say, but it is at the state department that someone is bent upon arming Pakistan".
Former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash said none of the weapons that the US has given Pakistan -- surveillance radars, P3C aircraft and F-16 fighters -- has any specific counter-terrorism role. Historically "these weapons have been used against India", not terrorists, he said.

Admiral Prakash says the Harpoon is not of much significance in military terms. "Even if they [Harpoons] are modified for land attacks, they don't have much range and cannot take heavy payloads. The bigger worry for us has been the Babur missiles supplied by the Chinese that can carry heavier payloads and have a significant range," says Admiral Prakash.

The NYT, too, quotes a defence expert as saying that Pakistan doesn't have to modify Harpoons and it already has better land-attack missiles. Calling the US accusation "incorrect", an official from Islamabad said that the missile tested was prepared by Pakistan, the report said.

A senior Indian army officer said that India's worry is not so much the old Harpoon missiles, but the "array of new generation US systems that have provided Pakistani military a huge leap in their capabilities".

That includes a new generation of Harpoon missiles, given after 9/11 when the US revived military assistance to Pakistan that had been stalled because of various sanctions in the 1990s.

Among the systems that the US military has received in the name of terrorism are armed maritime surveillance aircraft, new generation missiles, new F-16 fighters, 155 mm artillery guns, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and attack helicopters, among others. "Tell me, which one of it is a counter-terrorism weapon, other than the helicopters, probably?" asks a senior air force officer.

Another officer said there is a possibility that the US is deliberately using terrorism as an excuse to arm Pakistan to check India's military strength.