New Delhi: In an effort to boost development of indigenous anti-missile system, India has asked the United States for technical information of its patriot anti-missile system.

Confirming that a request has been sent to the Defence Co-operation Agency of the US government, Defence Minister George Fernandes in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha said the proposal was yet at a preliminary stage.

He said further steps on this would be taken on receiving and evaluating the technical information.

Though New Delhi has been probing Tel Aviv and Washington on the upgraded anti-missile system, Arrow, the Minister sought to downplay this saying there was no such proposal.

On whether India was in a position to put in orbit "an eye in the sky" tucked into 152-mt long Helium- based balloons above the country's border, Fernandes said, "Details cannot be divulged in the interest of national security."

On the induction of Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA) – Lakshya, Fernandes said five of these had been delivered for induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as per their requirements.

PTI