Defence secy explores production avenues in Israel's defence companies

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Thursday visited Israel's defence companies to explore avenues for production.

As per the Ministry of Defence, the delegation led by Singh aimed at strengthening Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

"Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, leading the Indian delegation, visited key Israeli defence companies -- Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Israel Aerospace Industries-- to explore avenues for co-production and co-development, aimed at strengthening existing partnerships and advancing the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative."

Earlier, Singh met Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the long-standing defence partnership between the two nations.

The meeting took place alongside the 17th Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Singh and Director General of Israel's Ministry of Defence Maj Gen (Res) Amir Baram. During the meeting, India and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation to provide a unified vision and policy framework for deepening bilateral defence collaboration, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Tuesday.

In a post on X, the Ministry of Defence said, "Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh called on Israeli Defence Minister Mr. Israel Katz and briefed him on the key outcomes of the Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting, aimed at further strengthening the robust and enduring defence cooperation between India and Israel."

The MoU outlines a wide range of areas for cooperation, including strategic dialogues, training, defence industrial partnerships, and capability development. It also focuses on Science and Technology, Research and Development, Artificial Intelligence, and Cyber Security.

According to the ministry, the agreement will promote co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies and strengthen joint innovation between Indian and Israeli defence industries.

The JWG reviewed ongoing projects and agreed that both nations have benefited from each other's strengths in defence innovation and operational capability.

The two sides discussed the potential areas for future collaboration in the field of technology as well as enhancing operational capabilities. They also deliberated on various issues, including shared challenges of terrorism and underscored their collective resolve to fight against the threat.