Israel inks $2bn weapons deal with India

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd (IAI) yesterday announced that it had signed a $2 billion defence deal with India which would be “the largest defence contract in Israel’s defence industries’ history”, local media reported.

Under the deal, IAI will provide advanced medium range surface-to-air missiles (MRSAMs) to the Indian Army. The balance of some $400 million in contracts has been awarded to Rafael Advanced Defence Systems.

MRSAM provides the “ultimate protection against a variety of aerial threats.” It was jointly developed for the Indian Army by IAI and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Several Indian companies and other private vendors also took part in its development.

IAI will also supply additional long range surface-to-air missiles (LRSAM) for Indian aircraft carriers.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said the security deal includes providing the Indian Army with ground and air defence systems, including bombers, rockets, communications equipment, radar and the Barak 8 air defence system.

IAI President and CEO, Joseph Weiss, said: “Over the past 25 years, IAI has worked with the Indian defence industries and armed forces in many areas as part of our strategic partnership. The current contracts represent an enormous expression of confidence by the government of India in IAI’s capabilities and advanced technologies.”

In June 2016, the Indian Army conducted a series of tests on the Barak 8 system which can detect and track hostile aerial threats at a range of 100 kilometres and destroy them at 70 kilometres.