Pakistan 'modified US missiles'

[joeblow]

Pakistan 'modified US missiles'

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=1 ... =351020401


The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system introduced in 1977.

Following the reports of a secret missile test in Pakistan, Washington has accused Islamabad of illegally modifying American-made missiles.

According to senior administration and Congressional officials, the new generation of Pakistani missiles test fired on April 23 was the upgraded version of the US anti-ship missiles sold to the country for defensive measures.

US officials claimed that the modifications were made in order to make the missiles capable of striking land targets and labeled the move as a new threat for India, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Harpoon anti-ship missiles were sold to Pakistan by the administration of former US President Ronald Reagan during the Cold War in the 1980s.

The US considers the "modification of a maritime anti-ship defensive capability to an offensive land-attack missile" a violation of the Arms Control Export Act and has delivered an unpublicized diplomatic protest to Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in late June, the newspaper added.

Washington also believes the move, which enables Pakistan's navy to strike targets on land, would spur another round of an arms race between the two nuclear-armed neighbors -- Pakistan and India.

Islamabad, however, has rejected the accusation, calling it part of US media campaign aimed at stopping aid to the country. The accusation came at a time when the administration is pressing Congress to approve $7.5 billion in aid to Pakistan over the next five years.

Washington strongly opposes Pakistan's military tests and has repeatedly called on Pakistani officials to focus their attentions on fighting pro-Taliban militants, rather than expanding nuclear and conventional forces aimed at India.

Islamabad never announced it tested any missiles in April.

HE/AKM