WASHINGTON, May 23: Russia has signed several contracts with Iran's Defence Organisation (DIO) to help the latter produce liquid-fueled ballistic missiles, reports here have said.

The contracts are part of a ``high priority'' Iranian effort to acquire Russian military technology and hardware with a weapons procurement budget estimated by the Pentagon at $ 10 billion.

The DIO's Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), the government agency in charge of developing and producing Iranian ballistic missiles, completed several contracts last year with the Russian Central Aero-hydrodynamic Institute for high-technology missile projects, The Washington Times said quoting US intelligence reports. The contracts included deals worth over one lakh dollars for projects that include construction of a wind tunnel for missile design, manufacture of model missiles and creation of related software.

Russia's state corporation for export and import of armament and military equipment is also cooperating with the SHIG effort to develop a wind tunnel, according to the intelligence reports.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.