18 July 2004	Sunday	29 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

WASHINGTON, July 17: The Pentagon has notified Congress of a proposed sale to India of systems that would be installed on three new Boeing 737 aircraft to protect the country's president from missile attack.

The equipment includes three sets of infra-red "countermeasure" systems, dispensing gear for electronic chaff to ward off a threat and an "early warning" radar, collectively valued at up to 40 million dollars.

India will "use the system for the movement and protection of their head of state", the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in the notice to Congress on Thursday.

Such notices are required by law and do not mean a sale has been concluded. Congress has 30 days to act in the highly unlikely case it wished to block a deal.

"The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country," said the agency that handles US government-to-government weapons sales.

The prime contractor would be L3 Communications of Greenville, Texas, the Pentagon said.

The assignment of 10 US government workers and 10 contractors would be required for two-week intervals annually to take part in a program management and technical review, the notice added.-Reuters