Israel, India to hold joint air force maneuvers

High ranking Israeli and Indian security delegations agreed that both nations’ air forces will hold joint maneuvers in 2005, Indian media reported Saturday. According to the report, Israel requested that the maneuvers utilize its fleet of F-16 fighter jets, and Russian-made Sukhoi-30s.

Israel reportedly agreed to upgrade India’s fleet of Chita helicopters, as well as its fleet of Topolev-142 reconnaissance airplanes, that serve India’s navy. The delegations also discussed tests India is conducting on Israeli-made Lahat anti-tank missiles.

India is also considering buying Israeli-made Heron drones, and cooperating with Israel on the production of Barak 2 navy missiles.

On Friday, the senior Indian delegation concluded a secret visit to Israel to discuss the arms trade between the two countries and their fight against terror.

The nine-member Indian group, headed by the defense secretary, met with Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and the ministry’s director general, Amos Yaron, among other officials.

A spokesman for the Indian embassy in Israel confirmed the visit Friday, although the Defense Ministry refused to comment on it. The embassy spokesman said the visit was routine and related to the ongoing dialogue between the two countries’ security establishments.

Israel is India’s second largest supplier of weapons, after Russia, and the Israel Military Industries recently announced it would supply the Indian army with unmanned drones worth $250 million.

Since full diplomatic relations were restored between India and Israel in the last decade, Israel has sold India $2 billion worth of weapons. The two countries have also agreed that Israel will sell India an early-warning Falcon plane, and Israel is expected to sell India two additional planes as well.

Russia has recently demanded that India buy more weapons from Russia and threatened that if it won’t, Russia will supply Pakistan with arms. Israel hopes that any worsening in relations between those two countries will make Israel an even bigger weapons exporter.