Israel signs $630m missile deal with Indian navy

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) signed a new $630 million contract on Sunday to supply the Indian navy with missiles, Israeli media have revealed. The deal will see IAI supplying the Indian government’s Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) with Barak 8 long-range surface-to-air missiles for four ships. The system was tested successfully on an Indian naval vessel last week.

“The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with India’s defence forces,” explained IAI president and CEO Joseph Weiss, “reinforcing IAI’s global leadership position in air and missile defence systems.” The new deal is a “step up” in IAI’s relationship with India, he added, representing “close collaboration” between the defence forces in both countries.

The increase in Israel-India security and defence links has coincided with a decrease in Indian support for the Palestinian cause. Israel’s relations with India have grown ever since the Madrid Peace Conference in October 1991, mainly after the Indian president’s announcement of full diplomatic links with Israel in January 1992.

The Times of Israel reported in April that IAI had signed its largest-ever deal to supply India with advanced air defence missile systems worth almost $2 billion.