The man is accused of supplying arms to terrorist organizations and making arms deliveries to countries under U.N. embargoes. Some even claim Bout acted with the approval, and under the control of, the Russian secret services.

On Aug. 16, 1996, an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft took off from Kandahar airfield in Afghanistan. This plane, manned by a Russian crew, had been grounded by a Taliban MiG-21on the same runway a year previously. It had been taking a shipment of arms to the Northern Alliance that was fighting the Islamist Taliban who ruled Afghanistan.

The escape from Kandahar, which later provided the basis for a film, was one of the notable events in Russia's history in the 1990s. But the incident, in which the Taliban forced an Il-76 to land in a city they controlled, was noted in the West, too.

It was at this time that the name of Viktor Bout gained international notoriety -- according to the United Nations and the U.S. State Department it was he who chartered the Aerostan transport plane to carry weapons for the Northern Alliance.

Later, Bout gained notoriety as one of the world's leading arms smugglers. Following the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that destroyed the World Trade Center, badly damaged the Pentagon and killed more than 2,800 Americans, Bout was accused of selling arms to Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al-Qaida terrorist group and the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks.

Some media went so far as to spread tales that he had supplied chemical weapons to the "planet's most dangerous terrorist."

Bout has also been charged with supplying arms to Liberia, Congo, Angola, Iraq, Colombia and many other Third World countries engulfed in military conflicts of different kinds. The sources are being traced to stockpiles of weapons and ammunition abandoned in Eastern Europe following the collapse of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact military alliance.

Many compare the business of Bout, who controls several air carriers, equipped mainly with Soviet-made military transport planes, with "Air America" -- the airline the Central Intelligence Agency used to make clandestine deliveries of weapons to Southeast Asian countries during the Vietnam War.

According to that story, the Russian businessman supplied arms to movements and governments around the world that enjoyed the support of the Russian secret services.

Bout's alleged links with FARC in Colombia
In time India launched its own development of military hardware under the auspices of the newly created Defense Research and Development Organization. Particular attention was paid to the development of missiles: In a little over 20 years India built a whole family of short-, medium- and longer-range ballistic missiles. The country is also developing anti-tank, air defense and air-to-air missiles.

Recent reports say, however, that India has scrapped its missile program because of the high costs and inefficiency. India reportedly will complete the more advanced projects, for example, the Astra air-to-air missile, and will continue independent development of ballistic and submarine-launched missiles.

As for other missiles, India will develop them under joint programs, such as the Russian-Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile project.

In spite of some successes in developing its own weapons, India still has a long way to go before it becomes fully independent in that sphere. Seeking to be less dependent on foreign suppliers, India is very selective in signing arms deals and weighs all the pros and cons very carefully. Considering the traditional Eastern way of doing business, auctions and tenders take a very long time.

Being in a position to choose its suppliers, India can afford to bargain for the best terms. That greatly increases the importance of spinoff contracts for modernization and repair of weapons. The winners of such tenders get a competitive edge in the Indian market.

From that point of view the contract for repair and modernization of India's MiG-29s and the Admiral Gorshkov deal are very important. They show that India plans to use MiG-29s for another 20-25 years. The construction of a service center and a plant for the production of aircraft engines, combined with the planned purchase of carrier-borne MiG-29Ks, boosts the chances of MiG-35 to win the tender for the supply of 126 fighter planes.

India plans to review the results of the tender, which promises the winner a $10 billion contract and a full order book for many years ahead, by the late spring of 2008. Russian planes will be competing with French and American machines.

As for complaints about the quality of arms supplied, there is no getting away from them. Like any partner with a feeling of importance, India would settle only for products that meet all its requirements. However, one should know how to tell the real failures of the Russian defense industry from artificial scandals blown up by the partners trying to drive a tough bargain, something that even experts sometimes cannot do.

(Ilya Kramnik is a military observer for RIA Novosti. This article is reprinted by permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.)

(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)

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