Rampage missile, Iron beam

NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of last year’s Operation Sindoor, India is eyeing Israel’s advanced drones, long-range missiles and laser-based defence systems in order to integrate them into its security infrastructure and create an “impregnable” multi-layered shield that can thwart any Pakistan attack through missiles, drones and airstrikes in future.While India’s DRDO has developed a 30-kW high-energy laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), known as Mk-II(A) system, Israel has started deploying ‘Iron Beam’, a 100kW-class high-energy laser weapon system, to complement its Iron Dome missile shield. Iron Beam can intercept drones, rockets and mortars at a cost of only a few dollars per shot.It is expected that these defence plans will be concretised during PM Modi’s two-day visit to Israel starting Wednesday. An MoU on security cooperation is expected to be signed during Modi’s visit, his second trip to Israel after 2017. Besides defence purchases, India is focussing on transfer of advanced weapon technologies.On Sunday, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, “PM Modi will deliver a speech in the Knesset. The fabric of this relationship has grown tighter, and he is coming here so that we can tighten it further through a series of decisions related to strengthening cooperation between our govts and countries. This includes economic, diplomatic and security cooperation.” Hinting at the formation of a security alliance, Netanyahu said, “We will create an entire system, essentially a ‘hexagon’ of alliances around or within the Middle East. This includes India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus) and nations in Asia.”India is developing an indigenous, multi-layered air defence system, ‘Sudarshan Chakra’, aimed at protecting cities and vital installations from missile and drone threats by 2035. The country is, therefore, collaborating with Israel to incorporate technologies similar to Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling systems. The initiative will integrate Barak-8 MR-SAM/LR-SAM with AI, advanced sensors and cyber-defence systems.The new MoU will follow an MoU that was signed last Nov during defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh’s Israel visit when both sides decided to boost defence ties through joint development and co-production of advanced technologies.During Op Sindoor, India had used a host of Israeli weapons like Rampage missiles, Harpy (loitering munition called Kamikaze drone) and Harop kamikaze loitering munition against Pakistan’s terror targets and military assets.According to a Forbes India report, Israel has agreed to arms deals worth $8.6 billion with India in 2026, making it India’s biggest weapons supplier after France. The $8.6 billion deals include, according to the report, SPICE 1000 precision guidance bombs manufactured by Rafael, Rampage air-to-surface missiles (250 km range), Air Lora air-launched ballistic missiles and IceBreaker missile system (300km range).