Hemant Lakhani's lawyers have been given a week to prepare

Hemant Lakhani, 68, from London, was due to appear at the federal court in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday over charges of supporting terrorism and weapons smuggling.

But his legal team asked for more time before a bail hearing, court officials said.

Mr Lakhani was one of three men arrested in the US on Tuesday, 12 August, after the sting which saw officials pose as terrorists wanting a Russian-made Igla missile to down a US plane.

Mr Lakhani is accused of demanding $5m (�3.1m) for 50 missiles from the FBI agents posing as terrorists, Mr Christie said.

In taped conversations Mr Lakhani had derided US citizens and called Osama Bin Laden, responsible for the 11 September terror attacks, a "hero", Us prosecutors said.

The terror charges carry a maximum 15-year sentence and the smuggling charges carry 10 years.

Secret services from the US, Russia and Britain were involved in the sting operation, which began 18 months ago.

Modified missile

The Igla missile, which has a 4km range and an infrared capability, was blamed for the shooting down of a Russian helicopter in Chechnya last year.

The Igla provided by the Russian security services in this case had been modified so it could not be fired.

The Igla missile is a "very, very effective" weapon, Jane's World Armies editor Charles Heyman told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"It is an advanced surface-to-air missile, which could have devastating potential in the hands of terrorists," he said.

No terrorists have been involved in the alleged plot, but three attempts by groups linked to al-Qaeda to shoot down planes carrying Western or Israeli passengers have been foiled in 15 months.