India and Israel have reaffirmed their strategic defence partnership with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation in Tel Aviv.

The agreement was finalised following a meeting between India’s Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, and Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, held alongside the 17th Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation on Tuesday.

The MoU provides a unified vision and policy framework to enhance bilateral defence engagement across multiple domains. It aims to consolidate the long-standing relationship between the two nations by deepening cooperation in Defence Research and Development, capability enhancement, industrial partnerships, and technology transfer.

During the JWG meeting, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Singh and Maj Gen (Res) Amir Baram, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defence, representatives from both sides reviewed ongoing projects and assessed future areas of collaboration.

The discussions underscored the tangible benefits derived from mutual exchanges in areas such as defence innovation, combat systems, and operational technology.

The new MoU opens fresh avenues for cooperation in strategic dialogues, joint training, and military-to-military exchanges. It lays special emphasis on advanced research areas, including Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, and Science and Technology collaborations.

Both countries agreed to pursue co-development and co-production of high-end defence technologies that would foster joint innovation and self-reliance within their respective defence industrial ecosystems.

The meeting also highlighted shared security challenges, particularly the need to counter terrorism and non-traditional threats. Both India and Israel reiterated their collective resolve to combat terrorism through closer intelligence coordination, capacity building, and the sharing of best practices for counterterror operations.

The Ministry of Defence of India, in a statement issued on X, confirmed that the meeting yielded significant progress in operational cooperation and technology-sharing frameworks. Defence Secretary Singh briefed the Israeli Minister on the outcomes of the JWG, noting that the discussions had helped shape a roadmap for long-term collaboration between the two defence establishments.

India and Israel’s defence ties are built on mutual trust and common strategic interests. Since the formalisation of diplomatic relations in 1992, their cooperation has expanded from hardware procurement to joint innovation initiatives and industrial partnerships.

Several Israeli defence firms maintain extensive collaboration with Indian entities, particularly in unmanned systems, advanced sensors, precision-guided munitions, and network-centric warfare technologies.

The signing of this latest MoU marks a renewed phase in the partnership, underscoring both nations’ intent to capitalise on each other’s strengths in technology and defence manufacturing.

The 17th JWG concluded with both delegations expressing optimism over the next phase of India-Israel cooperation, centred on innovation-driven growth and improved interoperability between their armed forces.

Based On ANI Report