KARACHI - The development of indigenous arms technology, its export, joint ventures for arms production and the exchange of defense high-tech with new global partners is the new focus of Pakistan's military government. Although Pakistan entered into the field of defense production several years ago, the present government

A successful initiative to build Agosta 90B submarines in collaboration with the French company DCN International has also given Pakistan confidence to push military exports. Pakistan signed a US$1 billion contract in 1994 with DCN International, France's leading state-owned naval shipbuilders, under which it acquired one fully built Agosta 90B and the technology to construct a further two for its own use. One Agosta has already been built at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, while the second is under construction.

When Pakistan participated in the International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in March its Agosta 90B submarine was on display, and it has already received offers. Negotiations are under way for Saudi Arabia and Malaysia to buy submarines built at Pakistan's Naval Dockyard in Karachi, at about $500 million each.

Although the overall poor state of the economy has forced Pakistan to scale back some of its defense projects and it will most likely reduce its defense expenditure in the federal budget for 2001-02 when it is delivered later this month, the country nevertheless wants to focus on export-oriented defense projects in collaboration with countries such as China, Italy and France.

According to an Asian Development Bank report, Pakistan's defense expenditure declined from 6.3 percent of GDP in the early 1990s to 4.8 percent in 1999-2000. Defense expenditure in 1999-2000 amounted to $2.47 billion. The report says expenditure will further decline by 7 percent in 2000-01 when it is expected to drop to 4.6 percent of GDP.

Pakistan has lost assistance from former partners such as the United States. Last month, five countries in South Asia - and not Pakistan - were designated to receive $1.85 million for military education and training. These included Bangladesh ($525,000), India ($650,000), Maldives ($125,000), Nepal ($225,000) and Sri lanka ($275,000).

Pakistan has also faced an embargo of US military aid since it detonated six nuclear devices in May 1998. Any help and cooperation it does receive comes with strings attached. For instance, recently the United Statesd proposed a one-time exception to the ban on military technology transfers to Pakistan by offering spare parts for military helicopters, armored vehicles and missiles on condition Islamabad sent peace-keeping troops to Sierra Leone.

As an alternative to the United States and some European countries including Sweden, Britain and Germany which ban military sales to Pakistan, Pakistani authorities are considering Italy and France, besides China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, for the exchange of technology, and Middle East countries as markets.

Pakistan and China have been collaborating on the joint production of the K-8 jet trainer aircraft for the past seven years, and they are now said to be considering joint production of the F-7MG and the F-8IIM high performance, multi-role, all weather aircraft. These are top-of-the-line aircraft in their respective categories and their induction into the Pakistan Air Force could help to significantly redress the present imbalance between the Indian Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force.

Similarly, with the help of Chinese technology, a modernized T-59 tank series will begin production in July 2002. The Pakistan Army has used versions of the T-59 for 30 years. The latest upgrade will include increased firepower, mobility and armor protection - at 10 to 15 percent of the cost of a new battle tank.

China has also offered to transfer technology for the manufacture of ammunition used in the T-80 UD Ukraine tanks. This emerged following the recent visit of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji to Pakistan.

Musharraf recently visited Myanmar and Vietnam, where he is also believed to have promoted Pakistani military products. Before his arrival in Myanmar a fleet of Pakistan naval vessels, including a submarine, a tanker and a destroyer stopped at Yangon Port for a three-day visit.

In the first week of June, the secretary-general of the ministry of of defense and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the Italian government visited Pakistan to commission the Grifo Radar manufacturing facilities in the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra and attended a ceremony for the formal induction of Grifo Radar into the Pakistani fleet.