Posted on 09/15/2004 8:20:23 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 13: The defence relationship between New Delhi and Tel Aviv has deepened further with India and Israel agreeing in principle to hold joint air exercises involving US-made F-16s and Russian-built Su-30 MKI fighters.
While the modalities of the first ever Indian Air Force and Israeli Air Force exercise will be decided by the executive steering group under the bilateral Defence Cooperation Group, Air Chief S. Krishnaswamy discussed the issue with his Israeli counterpart during his visit to Tel Aviv last week.
The IAF chief interacted with Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and Israel’s military top brass during his week-long trip. He also also flew a one-hour sortie on a twin-seater F-16 I fighter piloted by Major Jonathan from Ramon air base, south of Tel Aviv last Wednesday.
Sources said both sides were keen on pushing interaction between the two air forces and were all for exchanging operational tactics with each other. The joint exercise will be slated for 2005 after IAF Sukhoi-30 MKIs have done their tour of France.
Though Israel is smaller than Kerala in geographical area, its air force is one-and-a-half times more potent than the Indian Air Force. While IAF has a force level of 36.5 fighter squadrons, the Israelis have more than 30 fighter squadrons including 349 F-16s, 79 F-15s and 140 Kfir fighters.
Apart from undertaking joint exercises, New Delhi is also looking at Tel Aviv for help and hardware for its indigenous AWACS project. The AWACS project with the initial sanction of Rs 1,800 crore was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) last week. A Defence Ministry official said critical equipment on board the indigenous AWACS will be an ‘‘off-shoot of the India-Israel PHALCON AWACS’’ deal. Israeli defence contractors will be involved in helping the Indian project in critical areas.
Indian Defence Ministry To Seek More Acquisition Funds By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI, NEW DELHI
Despite the new government’s announcement of an 18 percent increase in India’s defense spending for the budget year ending March 31, 2005, defense planners are asking the Defence Ministry to release more funds for defense acquisitions this year.
Since most of the acquisition funds allocated are earmarked for deals entered into by the former National Democratic Alliance government, which lost power in April’s general elections, a Defence Ministry official said, the ministry will ask the Finance Ministry to make available at least $1.5 billion to finance new defense purchases.
The latest report of the Indian parliament’s Standing Committee on Defense, tabled in parliament Aug. 20, said that despite the higher allocation for defense, the Defence Ministry would have to seek additional funds.
Defense spending for the April 2004-March 2005 budget year is set for $16.79 billion, up from $14.15 billion for the preceding year.
Funds allocated for the current budget year will pay part of the bills for purchases such as the $1.5 billion retired Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov; acquisition of 16 MiG-29K aircraft for the carrier; $1.1 billion for Israeli Phalcon radar mounted on three Russian Il-76 airborne early warning aircraft; about $1.7 billion for 66 BAE SYSTEMS Hawk advanced jet trainers; and the $600 million purchase of four Embraer Legacy executive jets for the prime minister and president.
A senior Defence Ministry official said Aug. 23 that additional funds will be needed for new acquisitions, including 280 155mm self-propelled guns, Smerch multi-barrel rocket launchers from Russia, unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel, fifth-generation missiles and radar from overseas companies, and finalization of the $2 billion Scorpene submarine deal with France.
Wow! This seems like a really big story. Perhaps Isreal is on its way to not being the lone beacon of reason in that part of the world. This is very hopeful.
The Indians are smart and reasonable people. Always have been. They know better than anyone the dangers of the Islamic world, they've been stuck in the middle of it for centuries. Damn good cuisine too, if I do say so myself.
Israel is India's 2nd largest arms supplier(after Russia & ahead of (surprise!!) France,a position it achieved in little over 5 years.The amount of cooperation,if mediareports are to believed is restricted only by budgetary constraints.There is cooperation on submarines,cruise missiles,a new ballistic missile system(similar to the US ATACMS) ,missile defense systems,joint marketing of military helicopters & satellites to name a few areas.While a lot of folks would say that the communist supported coalition govt in India would cool off ties with Israel,few know that it was a government with active communist participation in it(the United Front Government of 96-97) that signed the first open arms deals with Israel for Barak point-defense missiles & maritime radars.
Well lets see,you would have to exclude South Korea & Australia from that list,though it wouldn't be unreasonable to classify them as regional powers.The US(all 3 services),France(Air & naval),Russia & Britain(naval),Japan & Vietnam(naval) all have done major combat exercises while the Saudis,Iranians & Chinese all have engaged in "getting to know each other" stuff -which really is nothing in practical terms & India has no trust in the Saudis & Chinese(since she buys lots of petroleum from the Iranians,a bit of closeness will help).
Mmmm---Curry!
Vindaloo!
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