New Delhi: India has dispensed with the archaic policy of blacklisting of some nations for Defence exports, Defence Minister George Fernandes said, announcing plans to sell sophisticated armaments like warships, helicopters, aircraft, small arms and specialised ammunition.

Setting a target of Rs 1000 crore for export of armaments this year, Fernandes said, "We have started a drive to find export markets to achieve economies of scale for our indigenous armament industry."

Maintaining that the Defence industry till now had been mainly catering to domestic needs, Fernandes said in a wide-ranging interview that exports, which are worth less than Rs 100 crore, will now be raised ten-fold.

Under the old policy, countries like South Africa, Israel and some other nations were debarred for arms sales and strangely the two nations are currently New Delhi's major joint venture partners even in strategic armaments.

Israel, after Russia, has become the biggest arms supplier to India as the two countries are on the threshold of entering into a strategic partnership for the development of Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS).

In the co-production of the AWACS, on which Israeli advanced surveillance radars would be mounted on an IL-76 transport aircraft, Russia would be the third partner.

"Several countries have evinced interest in Indian-made electronic warfare systems, new range of 5.56 MM small arms, special ammunition, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), aircraft and warships," he said.

PTI