Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh led an Indian delegation to Israel this week, focusing on deepening defence manufacturing and technology ties between the two countries. The visit centred around exploring new avenues for co-development and co-production with Israel’s premier defence firms, reinforcing India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative.

During his visit, Singh held in-depth meetings at Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Israel Aerospace Industries. These companies are regarded as global leaders in defence technologies, and their collaboration with Indian counterparts promises to accelerate technology transfer and joint innovation across both countries’ defence sectors.

The two sides convened for the 17th Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation in Tel Aviv, co-chaired by Singh and Maj Gen (Res) Amir Baram, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defence. The JWG reviewed the progress of current projects and assessed strategic priorities in the evolving bilateral relationship.

A significant outcome was the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation. The agreement sets a unified policy framework for enhancing defence engagement and specifies key areas for collaboration. These include strategic dialogue and training, industrial partnerships, and joint capability development.

The MoU places particular emphasis on Science and Technology, Research and Development, Artificial Intelligence, and Cyber Security. Both governments have agreed to encourage industry-led co-innovation and co-production, aiming to foster advanced defence technology ecosystems in both India and Israel.

Senior officials also exchanged views on regional challenges, especially the shared threat of terrorism, affirming their mutual commitment to strengthen collaboration in counter-terrorism capacity building.

Through these initiatives, both nations reaffirmed their commitment to leveraging each other’s innovation and operational experience in defence to address emerging security needs and build resilient capabilities for the future.

Based On ANI Report