Indian army could use Russian GLONASS

[Project 627]

Moscow - India's military is considering using Russia's Glonass satellite system for navigation and targeting, a leading Russian newspaper reported Thursday.

Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov offered Delhi access to the system during a recent meeting with his Indian counterpart Arackaparambil Kurien Antony, Kommersant newspaper wrote.
Glonass is a worldwide satellite navigation system similar to the US' GPS system. Russia placed its 24th Glonass satellite into orbit on Monday, upgrading the system to full worldwide coverage.
India could use Glonass for monitoring and controlling its own ballistic missiles and would avoid the cost of setting up its own worldwide satellite navigation network, the report said, citing a senior Russian army officer.

Russian army spokesmen have said that the Glonass system would allow guided missiles to strike targets anywhere on Earth with an error margin of less than one metre.
Antony was in Russia from Monday through Wednesday on a visit devoted primarily to talks on ongoing and future arms acquisitions from Moscow.
Topping India's Russian arms shopping list are a nuclear submarine, a retrofitted aircraft carrier and modern tanks.

Russia in 2010 sold some 3.5 billion dollars of weaponry and military equipment to India. A recently signed deal worth 1.5 billion dollars will deliver 29 MiG-29 fighter jets to India's navy by the end of 2012, according to news reports.

Report: Indian army could use Russian satellite navigation system - Monsters and Critics