Israel and India said closing in on $3 billion arms deals
Amid blossoming ties, Jerusalem set to sell New Delhi missile defense systems, guided bombs and advanced anti-tank weapons
Israel and India are close to signing a batch of arms deals worth $3 billion, which will place Israel among New Delhi’s top three military suppliers, the Times of India reported this week.
The package includes medium-range surface-to-air missiles, laser designators for guided bombs, ‘Spice’ bombs able to take out underground bunkers, as well as ‘Spike’ anti-tank guided missiles
According to the Times of India, at least three deals are now being reviewed by India’s Cabinet Committee on Security and should be approved within a month.
Late last year the two countries successfully tested a new jointly-developed maritime missile defense system.
And in January, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said New Delhi considers strengthening bilateral ties with Israel to be of the “highest importance” during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu hailed the increasing cooperation between Jerusalem and New Delhi in the fields of science, technology, defense, agriculture and health.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took office last year, has made developing cooperation with Israel a focus for his government’s diplomatic policies. In recent months defense and diplomatic ties between the two nations have flowered, with many high-level meetings between officials.