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India and Israel agreed on Wednesday to further strengthen their already robust defence cooperation, with a long-term strategic perspective. The decision came during talks between Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Major General Amir Baram, Director General of the Israeli Defence Ministry, held in New Delhi.
In a statement, the Defence Ministry said that both sides also decided to work towards creating an institutional framework to deepen their bilateral defence partnership.
Major General Baram strongly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reiterated Israel’s full support for India’s fight against terrorism. Singh, in turn, reiterated India’s “zero tolerance” approach towards terrorism. He also condemned the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel and called for the immediate release of all hostages, the statement noted.
The two delegations reviewed progress on ongoing defence collaboration initiatives since the last Joint Working Group meeting in July 2024. “The visit of the Israeli DG marks a pivotal step in India-Israel defence relations and reinforces both sides’ commitment to enhancing their strategic partnership,” the Ministry said.
India recently deployed several Israeli-origin weapon systems during cross-border hostilities with Pakistan from May 7 to 10 during Operation Sindoor. These included the Harop and Harpy “kamikaze” drones-loitering munitions that function as cruise missiles by striking enemy radars and air defence sites deep inside Pakistani territory.
India also employed the Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems, jointly developed with Israel, as part of its layered air defence network to counter multiple waves of Turkish drones and Chinese-origin missiles launched by Pakistan.
Team BharatShakti
