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International Relations GS 2 In the news 6 times

India-Israel Defence Cooperation

Defence cooperation forms the most significant dimension of India-Israel relations. Israel is India's second-largest arms supplier after Russia. Cooperation spans unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missile systems (Barak-8 co-developed by DRDO and IAI), radar and electronic warfare systems, and border security solutions. A landmark defence cooperation agreement signed in 2025 enables sharing of advanced technology for co-development and co-production of defence equipment.

Key details
  • Israel supplied the Barak-8 missile defence system (co-developed with DRDO under a $6 billion programme).
  • The Heron and Searcher UAVs from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are operational with all three Indian armed forces.
  • Israel supplied the SPICE-2000 precision-guided bombs used during the 2019 Balakot air strikes.
  • India-Israel defence trade was valued at approximately $600 million annually by 2016, expanding significantly since.
  • The 2025 agreement shifted focus from buyer-seller to co-development and co-production.
In the news

Tracked since February 16, 2026 · last seen February 26, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

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