Article Posted on : - Dec 04, 2009

Il-76 AEW Phalcon.The first of the AWACS were inducted in the Indian Air Force in May this year. Image Credit: Defencetalk

NEW DELHI (BNS): With a view to strengthening its military ties, an Israeli delegation led by Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Gabi Ashkenazi will visit India next week.

Defence Ministry officials said Indian military leadership including the three Services Chiefs will meet the Israeli delegation. During the two-day visit both sides are expected to discuss the ongoing defence cooperation between them and look into areas in which their ties can be enhanced further.

The Israeli military delegation is also likely to take up the issue of blacklisting of the Israeli Military Industries (IMI) by the Defence Ministry.

IMI is one of the seven companies blacklisted in connection with the corruption scandal against former Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) chairman and all deals with it have been put on hold till the Central Bureau of Investigation completes its probe into the case.

Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor had visited Tel Aviv Last month and in September 2008, then Israeli army chief General Avi Mizrahi visited India.

Israel is the second largest supplier of military hardware to India. The country has bought military hardware and software from Israel worth about $8 billion since the 1999 Kargil conflict, a PTI report said.

India ordered three Phalcon Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), fitted on Russian-built Ilyushin II-76 aircraft. The first of the AWACS were inducted in the Indian Air Force in May this year.

Israel has also sold IAI Malat-built Searcher MkII and IAI Heron unmanned aerial vehicles to the Indian Air Force. The IAI recently upgraded 32 Hind Mi-24 helicopters for the Indian Army.

Rafael is a major company vying for a $10 billion contract for the supply of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force. The company is now competing for India’s quick reaction missile (QRM) and medium range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) order with the SPYDER-SR (short-range) and SPYDER-MR (medium-range) missile systems.