The recent 15th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting focused on Bilateral Defence Cooperation between India and Israel. The apex body session saw both defence ministries agreeing to establish a Task Force. This group is set to create an extensive Ten-Year Roadmap, with the aim of discovering new avenues for cooperation.
The Role and Impact of JWG and SWG
The JWG’s purpose is to thoroughly review and guide every aspect of Bilateral Defence Cooperation. Besides forming a task force, the meeting also led to the creation of Sub Working Groups (SWG) on Defence Industry Cooperation. The purpose of forming this SWG is to ensure efficient use of bilateral resources, effective technological transfer and industry capability sharing. There was also an agreement to schedule Service level Staff talks within a particular time frame.
Historical Background of India-Israel Defence Cooperation
Dating back to the Sino-India War in 1962, the strategic collaboration between the two nations has a rich past. Notable moments in this history include Israel supplying M-58 160-mm mortar ammunition to India during the 1965 war against Pakistan and being one of the nations that refrained from criticizing India’s Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998. Additionally, Israel continued trading arms with India despite sanctions and global isolation post the nuclear tests.
Respective National Interests and Defence Cooperation Scope
The strong bond between India and Israel is a result of their corresponding national interests such as India’s military modernisation goals and Israel’s comparative advantage in commercialising its arms industries. Furthermore, the scope of defence cooperation has broadened to include other sectors like space, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, intelligence sharing and Israeli weapons sales to India. In 2017, India was Israel’s largest arms customer, with sales worth $715 million.
Defence Technologies Imported by India from Israel
Israel has been supplying numerous defence technologies to India, ranging from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like the Searcher, Hermes 900, and Heron, to air defence and missile systems like Barak and Spike. India also imports sensors like Search Track and Guidance Radar (STGR) and Phalcon.
Value of India-Israel Defence Cooperation
The defence agreement between India and Israel significantly enhances the operational capability of India’s armed forces during wartime. For instance, the missile defence systems and ammunition have played a pivotal role in managing the escalation between India and Pakistan post-Balakot air strikes. Additionally, Israel’s openness to establishing joint ventures aligns well with India’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make with India’ initiatives in defence.
Opportunities for Future Development
Looking ahead, the strategic cooperation between India and Israel carries immense potential. Expanding joint ventures and combined research and development could significantly boost India’s ambition to emerge as a major global power. Also, as the USA foresees a substantial role for India in Indo-Pacific balance of power maintenance, more technologies are likely to be transferred in the future. With an increasing strategic understanding between India and the US, these technologies can be flexibly deployed to various military wings. Given this burgeoning partnership, it is an ideal time for India to leverage Israel’s technological expertise and modernise its domestic defence industry.
