India, Israel to deepen defence cooperation

The defence cooperation between India and Israel is set to deepen further as the two countries plan to co-develop and co-produce high-tech weapon systems, Times of India reported.

According to Indian media reports, the joint working group on defence cooperation, headed by the Indian defence secretary and his Israeli counterpart, formed a new sub-group to promote such projects.

The main focus of the sub-working group (SWG) on defence industrial cooperation will be on transfer of technology, co-development and co-production, technology security, Artificial Intelligence, innovation and joint export to other friendly countries.

With military sales of up to $1 billion each year, Israel is among the top four arms suppliers to India for almost two decades now.

“With the Indian defence industry now also becoming stronger, the need was felt for the two countries to establish more R&D, co-development and co-production projects,” said a senior official.

He further added, “Israel is a world leader in missiles, sensors, cyber-security and various defence sub-systems.”

Secretive military ties between the two countries have grown after Israel rushed emergency arms supplies to India during the 1999 Kargil war.

Both countries have largely come out of the closet since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014.