Indian Navy Chief Begins Four Day Visit to Israel; Part of Service-to-Service Co

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Indian Naval Chief Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma is heading a high-level delegation that began a four day visit to Israel. Defence sources here described the visit a part of Service-to-Service cooperation during which wide ranging military cooperation between the countries will be reviewed.

Verma, invited by his Israeli counterpart Eliezer Marom, will also call upon Defence Minister Ehud Barak, Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and other senior defence officials during his four day trip. He will visit the Haifa cemetery tomorrow to lay a wreath on the memorial of fallen Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the liberation of Haifa during World War I.

India and Israel are said to be recently discussing the prospect of further expanding their fast growing defence relationship. The volume of defence business between the two countries can be gauged from the fact that Israel has already supplied Barak missiles to the Navy, night fighting devices to the Army and the Air Force and improved the radar network of the Indian Air Forces supplying hitech electronic warfare systems and information technology.

The three Phalcon airborne early warning radar systems (AWACS) supplied by Israel as part of a $1.1 billion USDs deal has given a big boost to India's reconnaissance capabilities. India happens to be Israel's single largest importer of its defence equipment constituting about 50 per cent of Israeli defence exports and about 30 per cent of India's imports.

India has also sought to replace weapons procurement from Israel with joint development projects, including potential sale of the jointly manufactured defence equipments to other countries.

[panikiraniparty]

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