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OpINION FEBRUARY 18, 2022 | The Indian Eye 12

Army Chief General MM Naravane visited the Israel Defence Forces headquarters and was General MM Naravane briefed about specialist weapons & equipment used by the Unit of Israel
given a brief on the multi-domain concept and force build up. He also witnessed a technical Defence Forces (IDF) in Latrun (ANI )
demonstration by IDF, in Tel Aviv in November last year (ANI Photo)
be seen how BEL and the IAI can pur- rael. Even if Indian capabilities come
of the MoD. The domestic industry till 2023, is close to Rs 1,000 million (Rs sue this further. The IAI has a well-es- up to speed in areas where there are
can either design, develop and pro- 100 crore or about US$ 14 million). tablished international profile and deficiencies, it is also a fact that it is
duce this equipment on their own or Even as the three decades old In- marketing prowess, an element that not economically viable or strategi-
through joint ventures with the OEMs. dia–Israel defense partnership is set to Indian DPSUs as well as private sector cally prudent to build each and every
The Srijan portal flows from the grow and solidify in the coming future, companies can study and learn from. weapon system in a country’s defense
March 2019 Policy for the Indigeniza- India’s defense self-reliance drive will Given the extraordinary range of inventory indigenously. Israeli defense
tion of Components and Spares used impact, to an extent, the quantum of cooperation in terms of procurement industry strengths in niche technolog-
in Defense Platforms for DPSUs/ the relationship. India’s moderniza- and joint development of equipment ical areas can continue to add critical
OFBs. The policy document notes that tion needs are huge, as well as the ranging from missiles like long-range value to India’s defense inventory.
the value of components imported by need to effectively meet the growing surface-to-air missiles (LRSAM), India’s defense market is one of
the DPSUs/OFBs during 2017–18 was security concerns across the internal medium-range SAMs (MRSAM), ra- the biggest in the world and there is
nearly Rs 14,000 crore. The aim is to and external spectrum. The all-en- dars, UAVs, assault weapons, among space and scope for cooperation with
reduce the import bill of the DPSUs compassing Pakistan–China defense others, we may not see an immediate critical strategic partners like Israel to
on this count. The MoD specifically cooperation, which equips Islamabad drastic reduction of the quantum of continue to grow to fulfil the varied re-
pledges to support the development with sophisticated equipment and the India–Israel defense trade, in the quirements of the Indian armed forces.
of capabilities relating to engine tech- platforms, is too stark to be ignored immediate to short term. The Israeli India expects to spend significantly on
nology, materials technology and elec- for India’s security planners. defense industry is also well-placed, defense modernization in the near fu-
tronic chip technology. It also will give India and Israel have developed given its long-standing exposure to ture. Strategic partners like Israel, even
priority to indigenized components for an all-round defense and security the Indian market, to take advantage as they continue to occupy an import-
testing and evaluation and encourage partnership, with increasing focus on of the government’s various measures ant place in fulfilling the moderniza-
their exports.9 joint development and production. to help in domestic manufacturing. tion and upgradation requirements of
More than 18,000 products, im- Exports of Indian-manufactured Is- These include relaxed norms for FDI, India’s armed forces, will be expected
ported during the period 2018–21, raeli products like unmanned aeri- in case the foreign OEMs agree to to continue to work more closely with
have been listed for indigenization, al vehicles (UAVs) to countries in transfer of technology. the domestic defense industry—both
by the target year 2025–26.10 In July Southeast Asia is another arena of Going forward, as India’s indige- the defense public sector units and
2021, the Indian industry had shown cooperation where the two countries nous capabilities in areas like AWACS the private sector—to fulfil the critical
interest for indigenization of near- could focus their efforts, especially or UAVs mature, dependence on requirements of India’s armed forces.
ly 3,000 items. The portal lists, as of by the private sector companies. In- foreign suppliers can be expected to
end of January 2022, nearly 90 prod- do-Israeli joint ventures in the cate- reduce. India’s big indigenization fo- Dr. S. Samuel C. Rajiv is Associate
ucts worth Rs 50 million (Rs 5 crore) gory of small arms and ammunition cus in critical areas of aero engine, Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute
and above, which have been imported have big plans not just to supply to materials and electronic chip tech- for Defense Studies and Analyses, New
during 2020–21, for a cumulative value the requirements of the India armed nology is expected to only witness Delhi.
of Rs 20,000 million (Rs 2,000 crore or forces but also to export markets. higher volumes of procurement from Views expressed are of the author and
about US$ 270 million).11 These in- India’s defense relationship with indigenous sources—including niche do not necessarily reflect the views of
clude components like data link trans- Israel is also being sought to be lever- equipment like active electronically the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
mitters, guided missile components aged to improve the country’s defense scanned array (AESA) radars, among Government of India.
and navigation instruments, import- exports profile. The electronics major, other equipment. These are the kinds
ed by the Bharat Dynamics Limited BEL, for instance, has expressed an of equipment that India has imported This is the abridged version of the article
(BDL), from Israeli OEMs like Elbit interest in having a tie-up with the IAI from Israel. which appeared first in the Comment
Systems and the Israel Aircraft Indus- to boost the DPSU’s exports profile. Domestic procurement of such section of the website (www.idsa.in) of
tries (IAI). The cumulative value of Way back in 2003, HAL had a tie-up equipment, therefore, will result in Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense
the imported components, from 2019 with the IAI to market the Advanced concurrently lesser quantum of im- Studies and Analyses, New Delhi on
onwards and projected requirement Light Helicopter (ALH). It remains to ports from strategic partners like Is- February 4, 2022

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