India and Israel reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their already robust defence cooperation, agreeing to pursue a long-term strategic vision to deepen bilateral ties. The talks took place in New Delhi between India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Major General Amir Baram, Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defence.
During the meeting, the Israeli official strongly condemned the terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam on April 22 and conveyed Israel’s full support for India’s counter-terrorism efforts. Defence Secretary Singh responded by restating India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. It was also learnt that in addition, he demanded the immediate release of all hostages captured during the attack and denounced the terrorist attacks that occurred in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Both sides agreed to work toward establishing an institutional framework to advance defence cooperation further. They reviewed the progress of ongoing collaborative activities since the last meeting of the India-Israel Joint Working Group, which was held in July 2024. Major General Baram's visit is a major step in strengthening the strategic defence partnership between the two countries, according to an official statement which was released.
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The two nations have a very strong defence partnership that has developed over time, and Israel is currently one of India's top defence suppliers. India's use of several Israeli-made weapon systems during the recent cross-border clashes with Pakistan, which lasted from May 7 to 10, showed the extent of this new cooperation.
It is also learnt that among these were Harop and Harpy loitering munitions, commonly referred to as kamikaze drones, which act as cruise missiles by hitting and destroying enemy radar installations and air defence systems located deep within Pakistani territory. The co-developed with Israel, the Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems strengthened India's multi-layered air defence network. These systems proved crucial during the conflict, successfully intercepting multiple waves of Chinese missiles and Turkish drones launched by Pakistan.
The strengthening strategic ties between Israel and India are reflected in the most recent round of high-level talks and expanding military cooperation. The two countries are gradually establishing a solid and reliable security and defence partnership because they have similar concerns and defence objectives.
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