Missile Technology Control Regime and India

The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime for missile technology. It is a loose political agreement among 35 member countries to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology. 

The G-7 industrialised countries established the regime in 1987. The MTCR aims to reduce the risks of WMD proliferation by controlling exports of goods and technologies that could contribute to delivery systems (other than manned aircraft) for such weapons. 

In this context, the MTCR focuses on rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kg (1,100 lb) over a range of at least 300 km (190 miles), as well as the associated equipment, software, and technology. The MTCR is not a treaty and does not place Partners under any legally binding obligations (members). Rather, it is an informal political agreement reached by states to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology.

What is the Missile Technology Control Regime?

• It is a multilateral, consensus-based organisation of 35 member countries committed to the non-proliferation of missiles capable of carrying chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
• It regulates the export of technologies and materials used in ballistic missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles capable of carrying nuclear warheads weighing more than 500kg for more than 300 kilometres.
• This is a non–treaty association of member countries with certain guidelines for information sharing, national control laws, and export policies for missile systems, as well as a rule-based regulation mechanism to limit the transfer of such critical missile system technologies.

MTCR Objectives

The MTCR was established in 1987 by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States to regulate the spread of nuclear-capable missiles and the technology used to manufacture them. The group expanded its scope in 1993 to include chemical and biological weapons-capable missiles. 

The regime’s member states have agreed to impose export controls on missiles, defined as rocket systems and unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAVs), as well as a wide range of technical components and software used in missile production. 

The agreement divides the equipment, software, and technology into two categories: Category I and Category II. Under the organisation’s guidelines, Category I items are strictly controlled; these items include missiles capable of delivering a warhead weighing 500 kilogrammes or more to ranges exceeding 300 kilometres, as well as their major subsystems such as engines and re-entry vehicles.

MTCR and India

Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime whose members have reached an informal political understanding to limit the spread of missiles and missile technology. This understanding is referred to as the “missile technology control agreement.” In 2016, India was accepted as a new member of the MTCR.

The decision on India’s accession to the regime was communicated by the MTCR Point of Contact in Paris to the French Embassy in New Delhi, as well as the Dutch and Luxembourg embassies. 

Aim of MTCR

Controlling the export of goods and technologies that could contribute to the development of delivery systems for such weapons (other than manned aircraft) is one of the goals of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which aims to reduce the likelihood of the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). In this context, the Regime places a particular focus on rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles that are capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kg to a range of at least 300 km, as well as the equipment, software, and technology for such systems. In addition, the Regime has a particular interest in the ability to deliver a payload of at least 300 km.

Mission Technology Control Regime: Important Facts

• It was established in April 1987 by the G-7 countries – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, and Japan – to prevent the spread of unmanned delivery systems capable of carrying nuclear weapons weighing more than 500kg for more than 300 kilometres. It was expanded in 1992 to include all types of weapons of mass destruction.
• It now has 35 full members, including India, and four “non-adherent members,” including Israel, Macedonia, Romania, and Slovakia.
• China is not a member of this regime, but it has verbally agreed to follow the original guidelines but not the subsequent additions.
• These non-proliferation efforts of ballistic missile systems were bolstered further by “The International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation,” also known as the Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC), which was established on November 25, 2002 as an arrangement to prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles with 136 UN member countries, including India.

Missile Technology Control Regime – Achievements

• It has significantly contributed to some countries’ nuclear programmes being curtailed or slowed.
• Argentina terminated its “Condor II” joint ballistic missile programme with Egypt and Iraq.
• In an effort to join the regime, Poland and the Czech Republic destroyed their ballistic missiles.
• Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, and Taiwan all cancelled or scaled back their missile or space launch vehicle programmes.
• It recently played a significant role in impeding Libyan and Syrian missile efforts.

Conclusion

The Missile Technology Control Regime is a multilateral export control regime for missile technology. It is a loose political agreement among 35 member countries to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology. In this context, the MTCR focuses on rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kg over a range of at least 300 km, as well as the associated equipment, software, and technology. Rather, it is an informal political agreement reached by states to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology. It is a multilateral, consensus-based organisation of 35 member countries committed to the non-proliferation of missiles capable of carrying chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. This is a non treaty association of member countries with certain guidelines for information sharing, national control laws, and export policies for missile systems, as well as a rule-based regulation mechanism to limit the transfer of such critical missile system technologies.