Nuclear submarine production on schedule: Antony

New Delhi, Jan 9 (UNI) Defence Minister A K Antony today said India's strategic weapons projects such as production of an indigenous nuclear submarine and strategic missiles were going on as per schedule.

However, he did not elaborate.

The Defence Minister was talking to journalists on the sidelines of a function to launch the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) here on his return from Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Meanwhile, defence sources said the nuclear submarine project -- Advanced Technology Demonstrator -- was likely to be ready for trials by 2009.

Mr Antony ruled out any move to keep out European Aviation Major -- EADS -- when new international tenders were floated for acquiring 197 light helicopters for the Army.

''We would like more firms to participate in the new tenders.'' He said the Eurocopter, frontrunners in bagging the nearly one billion US dollar contract in the scrapped tender, would be in contention for the deal.

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