Posted on 01/24/2013 8:53:13 PM PST by JerseyanExile
Indian air force Chief of Air Staff N.A.K. Browne is visiting Israel, a sign of deepening Indian-Israeli defense ties.
"This is a part of routine reciprocal visits between chiefs of various wings of the defense forces of the two countries," an Israeli Ministry of Defense official told The Times of India.
"The visit underlines a very strong strategic relationship between the two countries where cooperation with India would probably rank only second to the United States."
India is Israel's the largest purchaser of arms and equipment, with Israeli total defense equipment exports to India reaching $9 billion since 1997, The Times of India reported Monday. The Economic Times put the total value of the defense trade at $10 billion.
While the Russian Federation remains India's largest source of arms imports, the rapidly rising cost of spare parts for Russian equipment soaring 300-500 percent has increased Israel's market presence. Some analysts predict that Israel could soon overtake Russia as India's primary defense supplier.
Major bilateral areas of cooperation include submarine-launched cruise missiles, micro-satellite systems for surveillance, laser-guided systems and precision-guided munitions, anti-ballistic missile systems, radar systems and the upgrading of Soviet and Russian supplied weapons systems, including aircraft, artillery and tanks.
One area in which the use of Israeli supplied military systems has had a significant effect is along India's 2,912-mile border with Pakistan, where state-of-the-art Israeli advanced sensor systems have slashed infiltration levels across the frontier.
Such successes have been a significant factor in increasing India's armaments purchases from Israel, with one Indian Ministry of Defense official observing on condition of anonymity, "No other country could make such a big entry in such a short time as Israel did in India's defense business."
The first significant Indian purchases of Israeli weapons systems occurred in 1996, when India purchased an air combat maneuvering system, which was installed at the Jamnagar Air Base along with a $10 million contract for two Dvora MK-2 patrol boats for the Indian navy, while Israeli firm Elta won a multimillion-dollar contract to upgrade the avionics on India's Soviet-built MiG-21 fighter jets.
Another factor bolstering India's purchase of Israeli munitions systems is that, unlike many Western arms companies subject to their governments' considerations, Israeli armaments firms don't insist on either economic or political strict conditions but are relatively liberal on issues of technology transfer.
Another contributing factor is that Israeli defense products are frequently significantly less expensive than their competitors.
One issue complicating the relationship, however, is the question of corruption with the Indian government banning Israeli Military Industries from doing business in India over bribery allegations.
Who benefits more India or Israel?
This is a good thing because both countries face a common enemy — Islam, currently emboldened and partially equipped by the Obama administration.
Question: Was India, the world’s biggest democracy, there for us during the cold war? Let them together take out our enemies.
And why do you ask?
Curiosity is my only motivation.
An excerpt from a discussion:
By Pankaj Nema
The most important US policy goal in cold war was CONTAINMENT of the soviet Union.
US aid to Japan ,south korea ,Germany was done to contain spread of communism
US realised the importance of China and cultivated China in order to weaken Soviet union. And ultimately US succeeded in weaning away China from Soviet influence .USSR China alliance was nightmare for USA
If faced with a choice between India and China ; ie which country would be more useful for US goal of containing soviet union, then US would have found China more useful than India and India would have been sidelined
Our policy makers decided in 1964 ,after the chinese Nuclear test that India had to go nuclear.
Since there was growing information that India was interested in Nukes, a DISCRIMINATORY NPT was framed and India was denied entry in the nuclear club
This was done as a result of growing US china friendship .China never wanted India to get Nukes
The India US relations were embittered because of our Nuclear programme The reason US was against our
Nukes was that It wanted China as Asian unchallenged super power.
If we were to align with US we would have lost the Unflinching, unwavering support of the Soviet union which continues to this day when Russia does nt sell Arms to Pakistan.
Even after 1991 when BOTH Russia and India were facing economic problems ,Russia still REFUSED to sell arms to pakistan.
Pakistan wanted Su 27 bomber when F16 was stopped due to sanctions.Also S 300 SAM was refused
Now that is FRIENDSHIP
The reason why US is the MOST HATED COUNTRY IN PAKISTAN is because US is seen as an unreliable ally which has dumped Pakistan many times and when India became RICH and Strong ,US has dumped Pakistan in favour of india.
Similarly India would have been dumped in favour of China.
The discussion is here:
What if India was allied with the US during the Cold War?
http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/military-history/13607-if-india-allied-us-during-cold-war.html
very interesting-I thank you.
“Was India, the world’s biggest democracy, there for us during the cold war?”
No, they weren’t. However, we had sided with Pakistan. That forced India into the Russian camp. Had we sided with India, that would have forced Pakistan into the Chinese/Russian camps. Now, we have again sided with Pakistan and Pakistan is getting military assistance in the form of free fighter jets and military equipment from China. In essence we are funding people in Pakistan who would rather see us dead. India has helped us despite our country’s poor choices. We have much more in common with India than Pakistan.
Actually I was curious as to why is that question important. I believe they both benefit equally. Israel and India form a strategic alliance. They both share each others technological know how. Israel is somewhat ahead of India technologically but India has the money to buy. Israel needs friends in the region and so does India. And India is one of the few countries that does not have any antisemitism. It all depends on how you look at the relationship. Other then that I don’t know what you are asking.
Was US there for India during cold war?
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