India, Israel Ink Defence Tech Pact As Foreign Minister Gideon Saar Visits New Delhi

On a day when Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is in New Delhi meeting his Indian counterpart, Dr S. Jaishankar, India and Israel have taken a major step forward in their strategic partnership with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation.

The MoU was formalised in Tel Aviv during the 17th India-Israel Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Defence Cooperation, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Major General (Res.) Amir Baram, Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defence.

According to an official statement, the agreement aims to provide "a unified vision and policy direction" to deepen the already robust defence partnership between the two nations. It lays out a framework for sharing advanced technology and fostering co-development and co-production in key areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, defence innovation, and research and development.

The JWG also reviewed existing initiatives and reaffirmed that both countries have greatly benefited from mutual collaboration. Discussions included future cooperation to enhance operational capabilities and address shared challenges such as terrorism, with both sides reiterating their determination to combat the threat jointly.

India and Israel share a long-standing defence relationship built on deep mutual trust and shared security interests. Israel remains one of India's most important defence partners, contributing significantly to its modernisation and technological capabilities.

The defence breakthrough coincides with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar's visit to India, where he held talks with External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Saar described India as a "global superpower" and said the India-Israel partnership is stronger than ever, reflecting a growing convergence in strategic and technological cooperation between the two democracies.

Earlier this year Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had told NDTV's Aditya Raj Kaul that "The things (equipment/ammunition) we provided before worked very well on the field (During Operation Sindoor) we develop our weapons in the field and they are battle-tested."

The Indian military had used Barak missiles and HARPY drones, in addition to an impressive array of domestically manufactured weapons systems, to repel waves of Pak missiles over a nearly 100-hour period starting May 7.

The timing of the new MoU, amid Saar's high-level visit, underscores the expanding scope of India-Israel ties – anchored in shared values, security priorities, and a vision for future-ready defence collaboration.