Washington: The United States has in the past week given its approval to Israel for the sale of the Phalcon airborne early warning systems worth one billion Dollars to India, a media report has said.

Recent developments in South Asia have reduced tension between India and Pakistan and thus the acquisition of this system by India no longer poses a threat to regional stability, 'The Space Daily' report said quoting state department officials as saying.

The US had in the last week of May given the green signal to Israel for the sale of Phalcon airborne radar systems to Indian Air Force without any conditions or limitations.

Clearing the long pending deal, Washington had withdrawn all objections and given Israeli Defence Ministry the green signal for the deal that US had earlier asked Israel to freeze in view of tense standoff between India and Pakistan.

Washington had earlier pressurised Israel into cancelling a similar signed deal with China in 2000 for the same weapons systems sparking a diplomatic crisis with Beijing.

The US had in principle supported the sale to India about a year and half ago. However, in early 2002, Washington asked Israel to postpone the sale because of rising tension between India and Pakistan and the deal had since been frozen, waiting for US approval.

PTI