India, Israel ink MoU on military equipment co-production

India and Israel on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation aimed at enhancing technology sharing and promoting co-development and co-production in advanced systems.

The MoU was signed during the 17th meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation in Tel Aviv, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Maj Gen Amir Baram, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defence.

According to India’s Defence Ministry, “The MoU will provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen the already strong defence cooperation between the two countries.”

The agreement identifies a wide range of areas for collaboration, including strategic dialogues, training, defence and industrial cooperation, science and technology, research and development, innovation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

The JWG reviewed ongoing defence initiatives and noted that both nations have benefited from each other’s strengths. Discussions also covered future technology partnerships, enhancing operational capabilities, and tackling shared security challenges such as terrorism. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to combat the threat collectively.

India and Israel share a long-standing defence partnership rooted in mutual trust and shared security interests. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), during 2020-2024, India was the world’s second-largest arms importer, while Israel ranked as its third-largest supplier, accounting for 13 per cent of India’s total imports. Russia and France were the top two suppliers.

India imports a range of advanced weapon systems from Israel and has collaborated on joint development and “Make in India” projects, involving UAVs, missiles, precision weapons and surveillance systems. The two countries also share intelligence on terrorism and regional threats, particularly related to Pakistan and militant groups in Kashmir, and conduct regular joint exercises such as “Blue Flag” to enhance interoperability and tactical expertise.