The allegations, which first appeared in The New York Times, are that Defense Department employee Michael Furlong gathered intelligence on the whereabouts of suspected militants and the information was then sent to military units and intelligence officials for possible lethal action. But outsourcing intelligence operations to contractors is controversial.

Journalist Tim Shorrock, author of the book Spies for Hire, says the military and the CIA have increasingly turned to outside help for secret operations. "The use of private contractors for top-secret intelligence operations is fairly common. There is a line in the story pretty high up that says 'it is generally considered illegal for military to hire contractors to act as covert spies.' Well, I do not know what the New York Times is talking about because the Defense Intelligence Agency, which carries out covert operations as military units, military intelligence units, is highly contracted," he said.

All intelligence agencies are using contractors to fill personnel gaps in areas like analysis and logistics. But the use of contractors for secret intelligence operations is a controversial area. U.S. law forbids employment of mercenaries, but the circumstances under which private contractors can be employed for secret paramilitary operations is a gray area.

A defense intelligence official told VOA the Defense Intelligence Agency has the legal authority for clandestine activities, but does not contract them out.

Normally hunting down suspected militants would be a job for Special Operations troops, working in conjunction with the Central Intelligence Agency's paramilitary operatives.

But former Army intelligence officer Tony Shaffer says that starting in 2001, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld decided to hoard Special Operations forces for his department and was reluctant to loan them out to the CIA. Shaffer, who was chief of operations for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, says that forced the CIA to start using more contractors in operations.

"The decision was that DOD [Department of Defense], which owned the resource, would be getting the resource over CIA. And this resulted, I think, in CIA in almost an act of desperation trying to find a way to continue to augment and expand its paramilitary operations during the period," he said.

Contractors were originally used in Afghanistan and Iraq to provide physical security for bases and convoys. But Shaffer, now with the nongovernmental Center for Advanced Defense Studies, says contractors like Blackwater are being used in roles for which they were not originally envisioned. "I can tell you first hand that, from my experience, the Blackwater contractors in Afghanistan were being used as mercenaries, augmenting the mission of CIA to conduct things. And the idea was this allowed them [CIA] to ramp up rapidly in an area where they did not have a great deal of ability to perform - in this case, paramilitary operations," he said.

Shaffer says he personally dealt with two contractor casualties, Blackwater operatives killed while on a mission for the CIA. "I actually had to handle these guys who were killed. And they were Blackwater contractors who were performing a combat search-and-destroy mission with paramilitary individuals at the time they were killed. So clearly they were not there just to provide security. They were actually on an active mission," he said.

Many of the contractors are former government intelligence officers, lured away by the enticement of as much as twice their government salary for doing the same job for an outside company.

Tim Shorrock says increasing use of contractors for intelligence work, particularly operations, makes oversight difficult. "Contracting does operate differently than government-run, 100-percent government-run, operations. There is not that much accountability in CIA and covert operations anyway. Only a few people know about. But when it is contractors there is even less accountability and transparency, because you can hide contracts in all kinds of ways and bury the information, and the whole lines of authority who they report to, and all that is sometimes quite obscure," he said.

Laws governing the liability of intelligence contractors who commit misdeeds while on government business are still unsettled.

Shaffer says until that is resolved, problems with contractors will continue. "This is not a decided area of law. But as a taxpayer you have got to ask yourself the question, if I am funding this, do I want these things done in my name? Because any taxpayer, who pays taxes, that money is appropriated for whatever purposes the law says. So until there is some better definition of what a contractor can and cannot do, I think we are going to have this sort of problem popping up indefinitely," he said.

Two members of Congress, Democrat Jan Schakowsky and Independent Bernie Sanders, proposed legislation last month that would phase out the use of private security contractors in war zones.

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Indian and Russian officials say the two prime ministers held wide-ranging discussions.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says his talks with Mr. Putin went beyond the 22 agreements they signed. "There is much that India and Russia can do together to advance global peace and stability and the process of global economic revival. We've agreed to intensify our consultations on Afghanistan and the challenges posed by terrorism and extremism in our region," he said.

But most of the attention focused on the billions of dollars worth of deals they signed.

To help India meet a shortage of electricity for its booming economy, Russia is to build between 12 and 16 nuclear power plants here, six of them by 2017. Russia is already constructing two units in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Earlier in the day, during a video conference with Indian business leaders gathered in several cities, Mr. Putin said Russia would also supply India with fuel for the reactors and cooperate on disposal of nuclear waste from the new plants. He called Russia's nuclear technology among the safest in the world.

One of the most significant agreements is intended to settle a protracted dispute over the sale and refurbishing of a Russian aircraft carrier that is to be delivered to India's Navy by the end of 2012. The two countries originally agreed on a price of about $950 million for the Admiral Gorshkov. Now it is believed to be $2.3 billion.

India has also agreed to buy 69 additional fighter jets from Russia.

The Russian prime minister also announced the two countries will work together to develop a 5th-generation combat aircraft. "Until now Russia has worked alone on the project," he said. "But significant progress has been made and the joint effort with India will yield considerable additional results."

Indian officials say the aircraft will be built within the next six years and based on the prototype of the Russian T-50 stealth fighter.

A Russian expert, Professor Anuradha Chenoy of Jawaharlal Nehru University, says India has good reason to continue looking to Russia for critical supplies and enhanced cooperation. "Repeatedly, Russians give India technology and assistance in defense, in space, in nuclear civilian use which you do not get from anywhere else," he said. "And this has been an old pattern and this has been proved once again."

India is one of the world's top weapons importers. And Russia is trying to maintain the dominant position it held since the Soviet era as the lead foreign supplier to India's military.

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The report showed stacks of compact white and blue missiles, emblazoned with the name Nasr 1, and it offered footage of a brief launch sequence.

Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi painted a glowing picture of the new missile. He says the missile is very accurate, is powerful and is able under variable maritime conditions to hit its target with accuracy.

Vahidi says the missile is capable of destroying targets of up to 3,000 tons and that it will be modified from its current surface version so it may be fired from helicopters and submarines.

Analyst Meir Javedanfar of the MEEPAS center in Tel Aviv says he thinks the Iranians are concerned by reports of recent Israeli military activities.

"The Iranian government is currently very worried about unconfirmed reports regarding the passing of two Israeli warships in the Suez Canal," Javedanfar said. "This is in addition to other reports in the Tehran-based Asr Iran publication, which talks about Israeli officials saying that they have got permission from other Arab countries to launch an attack against Iran if they decide to do so, and I think the Iranians want to create some kind of deterrence against Israel in order to dissuade Jerusalem from launching an attack."

Editor Alex Vatanka of Janes' Islamic Affairs Analyst thinks the Iranians are probably using the series of recent defense announcements to scare their Gulf State neighbors more than anyone else.

"The message here really is not (aimed) at the United States, because the Iranians are not stupid, they know there is a massive disparity when it comes to armed forces capabilities between the United States and Iran. Their targeted audience is particularly the Gulf States. They are saying to them, 'We have a capacity to hit any of our neighbors who might decide to collaborate with the United States," Vatanka said.

Iran said last month it had launched a satellite into space carrying several worms, a mouse and a turtle.

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The Interfax News Agency quotes the deputy director of Russia's Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, Alexander Fomin, as saying delivery of the S-300 air defense system to Iran has been delayed by technical problems.

Fomin, whose service controls Russian arms exports, made the comment during a defense exposition in New Delhi. He did not indicate the nature of the technical problems or how long repairs would take.

As recently as Sunday, the deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council, Vladimir Nazarov, said the S-300 contract must be implemented. It was signed in 2005.

Israel and the United States have opposed the sale of the system, which Iran could use to defend a possible attack against its nuclear facilities.

Announcement of the delay was made a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Moscow. The Israeli leader told Russia's Kommersant business daily he would not confirm whether he discussed delivery of any specific weapons systems in his talks with President Dmitri Medvedev.

The S-300 is a Soviet-era surface-to-air system designed to shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles. Independent Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer told VOA the missile would complement the longer-range S-200 and the TOR M1 system that operates at medium to very low altitudes.

Felgenhauer says the fact that Iran does not have the S-300 means it has a big hole in its air-defense system, which makes it impossible to defend against an attack, even by Israel.

Tel Aviv is concerned that an Iranian nuclear weapon could pose a direct threat to Israel.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reminded Iran it should stop its nuclear enrichment activity in accordance with a U.N. Security Council resolution. Lavrov, currently on a tour of Latin America, also urged Tehran to accept an international offer to provide fuel for its nuclear-research reactors.

Lavrov says the International Atomic Energy Agency proposed a plan in October of last year with France, the United States and Russia that would provide fuel for Iran's research reactor, because its current supply is being used up.

In Moscow, Prime Minister Netanyahu called for crippling sanctions against Iranian imports and exports, including such refined oil products as gasoline.

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said the international community must be certain Iran's nuclear program is peaceful. She added that if such obligations are not fulfilled, no one can rule out the use of sanctions against Iran.

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India Defense Minister Arackaparambil Kurian Antony says he expects military spending, currently 2.5 percent of gross domestic product, to substantially increase as the nation's robust economy continues to grow.

That is welcome news at this biennial defense show for the dozens of countries pitching their armaments and other military equipment to India's armed forces.

But the defense minister cautions India's ultimate goal is self-reliance. "We want to produce equipment for the armed forces internally, domestically. We want to strengthen our defense industries in India. India needs a strong defense industrial base," he declared.

That has the international defense industry scrambling to find Indian partners. For the time being, foreign entities are still the source of 70 percent of India's military acquisitions. Russia remains the top supplier but has slipped since the end of the Soviet era.

Israel - which has the biggest amount of floor space at this year's defense exhibition - is now number two and believed to be supplying most of India's advanced weapons systems.

The United States - which has the most companies exhibiting at the expo - is hoping to increase its share, pitching everything from handheld tactical field radios to naval warships.

Mark Kronenberg is a vice president in the defense systems division of U.S. aerospace giant Boeing. "There's been increasing cooperation between India and the United States from both the defense side and security side," he said. "More importantly, from the Boeing perspective, it's not just about increased presence on the military side - we've always had a strong commercial presence here - we think with Indian suppliers and partnerships we can be here for a long time to come," said Kronenberg.

Boeing is among several companies competing to replace India's aging fleet of Russian-made MiG-21 fighter jets with a newer system. India is expected to choose a supplier in the first half of next year. The purchase of 126 jets is potentially worth $11 billion.

Since gaining independence in 1947, India has had several military confrontations with neighboring Pakistan and fought a one-month war against China in 1962. Neither Pakistan nor China was invited to participate in this year's India Defense Exhibition.

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Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh says he has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of his country's latest move.

"I reflected to the agency the intention of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to start its nuclear enrichment activities of uranium up to 20 percent, I repeat up to 20 percent, in order to produce required fuel for Tehran's research reactor," Soltinieh said.

Iran's Foreign Ministry defended the enrichment, saying it is part of the nation's peaceful nuclear program.

Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast argued enrichment is not inconsistent with trading fuel abroad, since, he said Tehran is ready to discuss the matter if "opposing" parties are ready.

Those opposing parties, in particular the United States, are pushing to sanction Iran for further enriching its uranium stockpile instead of accepting an offer to have it boosted overseas.

The IAEA has offered to send the uranium to Russia and France for enrichment and conversion into fuel rods for the Tehran reactor.

The move would largely foil, at least for the time being, any Iranian plans to seek nuclear weapons. Tehran denies its nuclear program has a military component.

A U.S. Defense Department spokesman said the United States will try to get new U.N. sanctions placed on Iran within weeks.

France, another member of the U.N. Security Council, has said it also favors stronger action. Russian officials have also shown more willingness to consider what would be a fourth round of sanctions.

But veto-wielding China is urging more diplomacy.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu expressed hope all involved will work to advance "dialogue and negotiation."

China, with strong business ties to Iran, has long opposed imposing more restrictions.

Iranian envoy Soltinieh says Tehran has other options for the IAEA to consider.

"We are ready to separate the required material for exchange," Soltinieh said. "We are going to separate it from Natanz, [have it] existing in a separate container, under the seals of the IAEA, and under the custody of the IAEA in Iran. [This] means that we are not going to use it for any purpose and it will stay in Iran until the fuel is ready for the swap and exchange."

Soltinieh says this proposal has been ignored.

It is not clear Tehran can actually boost uranium from its current state of under five percent enrichment to the 20 percent needed for a reactor. Its processing program would need to be adjusted first, and there have been no reports that has been undertaken.

Iranian officials say the process is being overseen by U.N. inspectors.

If Tehran could push the enrichment to 20 percent, scientists say raising it to weapons grade would not be that much more difficult.

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He said the contract was signed Friday, and covers both small arms and more complex weapons.

Russia's Interfax news agency had quoted a "military diplomatic source" as saying Libya was ready to buy about 20 fighter planes from Moscow, as well as air defense systems and several dozen tanks.

Libyan Defense Minister Major General Younis Jaber met with officials in Moscow earlier this week.

The deal with Libya follows a report by Russia's state-owned arms export monopoly claiming overseas sales of military equipment rose 10 percent in 2009.

The head of Rosoboronexports, Anatoly Isaikin, told reporters that military contracts totaled $15 billion last year, driven higher by deals with Saudi Arabia, Libya and Venezuela.

Last year, Venezuela reported arms deals with Russia worth more than $2 billion, including the purchases of 92 (T-72) tanks and an S-300 surface-to-air missile system.

Isaikin said that the prospects for new sales to Saudi Arabia were also good.

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U.S. media reports say the United States is speeding up the deployment of anti-missile defenses in four Persian Gulf nations as it continues to confront Iran over its nuclear program.

The reports say the United States is also beefing up its naval presence in the region with special ships with the ability to shoot down missiles.

According to U.S. military officials, the four nations which have agreed to deploy the anti-missile systems are Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The deployments are said to be part of a broader campaign by the Obama administration to increase pressure on Iran, which denies charges that is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged China to support tough new sanctions against the Tehran government and its Revolutionary Guards Corps. She said Beijing will face diplomatic isolation if it fails to recognize the destabilizing impact of a nuclear-armed Iran.

U.S. General David Petraeus, who heads the U.S. Central Command, calls Iran a "very serious threat." He said earlier this month that the accelerated defense cooperation includes the deployment of eight Patriot missile batteries, two in each of four Gulf countries, although he did not say which.

The deployments are part of program begun by former President George W. Bush to provide anti-missile systems to friendly Arab states concerned about an Iranian threat.

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Admiral Harry Harris says as the U.S. Army, Marine Corps and Air Force components for Africa Command become more structured, he hopes they will join the Navy's effort to help build the military capacities of African nations. The admiral told reporters at the Pentagon Tuesday most of the current Africa Partnership Station effort is focused on African naval capabilities, although he said U.S. and partner-nation Navy personnel do some training and construction on land.

He says adding the Army, Marines and Air Force troops would expand the training program, but not change its basic philosophy. "We want to help African nations help themselves solve African problems," said Admiral Harris. "And we don't go in unless we're invited, and we go in with a spirit of full collaboration and partnering with African nations, as well as other countries."

Admiral Harris notes that about 20 countries have participated in the Africa Partnership Station program since it began in 2007, including several European countries and Brazil, as well as about 10 African countries. This year, the program will involve efforts in East, West and Southern Africa, but the admiral says there is so far no plan to expand to Northern Africa.

The Navy program trains African forces in such skills as search and rescue, hostile ship boarding, small boat operations and ship maintenance. This year's West Africa program will include a Nigerian Naval officer as its deputy commander.

Admiral Harris is new to his post, but he says Africa Command is finding much more receptiveness among African nations than it did when it was formed two years ago, and many nations were suspicious of its intentions.

"We are not building bases in Africa," he said. "We're not doing those things that the naysayers suggested that we would. Quite the opposite, I believe we're living up to our promise of being a true partner."

Admiral Harris says his forces are also concerned about drug trafficking through Africa. He says cartels in Latin America are moving some of their drugs across the Atlantic to Africa and then north to Europe. The admiral says the partnership program, as well as a separate effort to improve African law enforcement capability, could help combat that.

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu Tuesday told reporters her country's test of emerging military technology was successful.

Jiang says Monday's test of "ground-based, mid-course missile intercepting technology" had what she describes as "the expected result."

There have been few details about the test.

But the Chinese spokeswoman says it has not left any debris in space orbit and does not constitute a threat to the security of other spacecraft.

She emphasizes that the anti-missile test is in line with what she calls China's path of peaceful development and is not targeted at any country.

Jiang says China has what she describes as a "defensive international defense policy." She says China is stepping-up its defense modernization in the interest of national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The apparently successful test came soon after the United States cleared a sale of advanced missiles to Taiwan, despite strong opposition from Beijing.

China curtailed military-to-military contacts with the United States in 2008, after then President George W. Bush announced plans to sell Taiwan a long-delayed arms package.

China has claimed sovereignty of self-governed Taiwan since 1949, when the Nationalists fled to the island after losing a civil war to the Chinese Communists. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan back under its rule, by force, if necessary.

In recent years, China has arrayed hundreds of missiles along the Chinese coast, all pointed at Taiwan.

The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. But Washington remains Taiwan's biggest military backer and has said it will help the island defend itself.

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