New Delhi: – India, who was making massive purchases of missiles, drones, air defence systems, from Israel, has taken an important step to strengthen the defence cooperation further. India and Israel have formed a Sub-Working Group (SWG) for Defence Industry cooperation. Under this India will be developing high-tech weapons in collaboration with Israel. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to this effect and there is a plan to export these high-tech weapons to the allies.
India is organising webinars with its allies, with a view, to attain the target of defence equipment export worth $5 billion, in the next five years. Against this background, the first webinar, between the Indian and Israeli Defence Secretary delegations, was held on Thursday. During this seminar, the Sub-Working Group was formed, to be presided over by the Defence Secretaries. Sanjay Jaju will lead the group, Joint Secretary for Defence Industry and manufacture, in the Indian Defence Ministry and Eyal Calif, Director Asia Pacific, in the Israel defence department. The defence ministry informed that this Sub-Working Group would be operating in addition to all the existing India-Israel defence cooperation groups.
This group will be responsible for technology transfer, joint development and manufacture, technology security, Artificial Intelligence, innovations and joint export of weapons to a third nation. During the webinar, the Kalyani Group from India and RAFAEL Advanced Defence from Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding. At the same time, Israeli companies ‘IAI’, ‘Albit’ and ‘Alta Systems have partnered in seven joint projects, with Indian companies. The details of these partnerships are not available. But it is being claimed that the India-Israel defence cooperation is becoming stronger by the day.
Israel had supplied weapons to India during the Kargil war, started by the Pakistani military, in 1999. After that, the defence cooperation went from strength to strength and Israel has reached the top four countries, supplying weapons to India, in these two decades. Israeli missiles, sensors, and cybersecurity is believed to be the best in the world and the Israeli Spice-2000 bomb was used by the Indian Airforce to destroy the terrorist base in Balakot. India has increased moves to purchase other versions of the Spice bombs. Moreover, the Indian defence forces are also using Falcon Radar Systems, Heron Drones and Barak missile defence systems.
Meanwhile, it is claimed that this flourishing India-Israel defence cooperation is increasing concerns for Pakistan and China. A few weeks ago, Israel had refused defence cooperation to China, given the tension in Ladakh. But at the same time, Israel announced cooperation with India for the Falcon AWACS system, also known as the ‘Eye in the Sky’. This was a major blow for China. Whereas, Pakistan too is claiming that the cooperation developing between India and Israel is a threat to its security.
Related posts:
Israel President’s India visit
India–Israel to work towards alliance in Agriculture sector
Israel’s ‘Fence System’ on Indo-Pak Border
India to buy killer drones from Israel, proposal cleared by the Defence department
India accelerates defence equipment purchases
MEA Jaishankar holds talks with foreign ministers of five countries on Coronavirus
European countries and Israel increasingly invest in India
