IAI's Sky Capture turns obsolete guns into potent Air Defence System

Israel becoming one of the largest arms suppliers to India, which has spent some $100 billion on defence in the past decade

by Seth J Frantzman

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced two deals in a week with India to supply anti-aircraft air defence for the army and supply missile defence for the Indian navy. Together the deals are worth $1.3 billion and are part of the increasing cooperation Israel’s defence industry has with India.

On October 29, IAI announced a $550 million “Mega-Deal” to provide its Sky Capture command and control system for anti-aircraft defence. The technology uses sensors and detection radars made by IAI and ELTA systems. The system is designed to provide short-range aerial defence for army units, such as bases and headquarters, and can be used with 40 mm guns or eventually with MANPADs, or missiles, or other technologies.

The second deal worth $770 million was signed on October 24 and foresees Israel developing LRSAM missile defence for seven ships in the navy. The contract is with India’s Bharat Electronics Limited, a local Indian contractor. Boaz Levy, IAI’s Executive Vice-President and General Manager of Systems, Missiles and Space Group, said the contracts illustrates how IAI has one of the best capabilities in the world and that the current deal is part of increasing cooperation in India. “We are speaking the same language now," he said, describing close work with local contractors on the programs. As Israel becomes one of the largest arms suppliers to India, it increasingly plays a key role in upgrading various systems for India’s armed forces, combining the high tech that Israel has with local contractors and know how.

Last year, IAI signed a $1.6 billion deal to supply LRSAM air and missile defence for aircraft, and another deal for LRSAM for missile defence for the navy. It is part of India’s various global defence purchases that have added up to $100 billion in a decade and were estimated at $15.15 billion this year, according to a Defence News report in February.