India, which tested an indigenously-built ballistic missile on Sunday, is holding talks with Israel about joint production of a long-range missile, the country's chief military scientist announced yesterday. "Wherever they have strengths, we want to jointly develop the missiles so that both countries can benefit and share designs, costs and risks," V K Atre told reporters in Hyderabad, the hub of India's missile-building facilities. Atre did not elaborate about the system which India hopes to build jointly with Israel. He said talks are being held between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation and its state-owned Israeli counterpart. Atre denied that Israel was already helping India to build guided missiles and said defence cooperation was confined to research and the development of sensors and fibre-optic gyroscopes for the military. India, which treated Israel like a pariah for decades, has in recent years forged close military links. It is acquiring two Phalcon Airborne Early Warning Systems from the Jewish state at a cost of a billion dollars.