India-Israel Defence Deal

The defence relations between India and Israel have grown significantly. The close cooperation between the two countries is due the respect for Israeli systems and its experience in fighting terror. The very special defence relationship, India has with Israel is now moving towards joint development of equipment.

Israel has now overtaken Russia as India’s largest defence partner after breaking the $1 billion mark in new contracts signed annually during the last two years. It was only in August 2007 that Israel had become India’s second largest arms supplier after Russia. This is why the Indian military regards Israel as a reliable defence partner.

Over the past decade, India has brought a vast array of military hardware from Israel, worth $9 billion including Green Pine missile detecting radars, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Travor assault riffles and thermal imagers used both on battle tanks and for counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2008, Indian Defence Ministry had approved a $2.5 billion joint IAI-Rajael deal to develop a new and advanced version of the Spyder surface-to-air missile system.

Surface-to-Air Missile
India is learnt to have struck a Rs 10,000crore deal with an Israeli company for the supply and joint development of medium-range surface-to-air missiles. The Defence Ministry is yet to officially confirm that the deal has been signed.

The joint development of the 70-km MR-SAM project will be done by India’s Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Israeli Aircraft Industries. This company, incidentally, is also the manufacturer of the Barak missile systems. The DRDO is hoping that collaboration with the IAI will help it develop these missiles within four to five years. The indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile developed by DRDO has a range of 30 km.

Left’s Objections
The Left parties had raised strong objections to this deal in February 2009. In a joint letter signed by CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and CPI General Secretary A.B. Bardhan dated February 9 addressed to the Prime Minister, the Left leaders said the CBI had alleged in 2006 that there is “prima facie evidence” of kickbacks paid to clinch the Barak surface-to-air missile interceptor deal in 2000, and that there is evidence of remittances paid by Israel Aircraft Industries — manufacturers of Barak missile systems — to middlemen. The Left leaders alleged that the MR-SAM deal had been signed despite the fact that the DRDO already had the knowhow to make advanced air defence missiles.

The Left parties have been opposing defence and strategic cooperation with Israel. They had also raised the matter of Israel’s policy towards Palestinians. However, the Centre maintains that defence cooperation with Israel is in the national interest. In 2007, defence minister A.K. Antony had told Parliament that India had made defence purchases of over $5 billion from Israel from 2002 to 2007.

Indian naval sources point out that Israeli Barak missiles, Derby missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare equipment are either already being used by the Navy or are in the process of being procured. The Barak missiles are surface-to-air precision-guided missiles with a short range of about 10 km and are very effective missile interceptors which are used as the last layer of defence to destroy an advancing missile.