Defence brass on ‘secret’ Israel trips

[KashifAsrar]

Defence brass on ‘secret’ Israel trips

Despite Left Opposition, Air Chief And Navy Vice-Chief Visited The Country To Bolster Military Ties


Rajat Pandit | TNN


New Delhi: The ever-expanding Indo-Israeli military relationship, which came out of the closet during the previous NDA regime, has once again gone underground under the UPA government.
In July, defence minister Pranab Mukherjee was forced to call off his visit to Israel due to political sensitivities, both domestic and international. CPM and CPI even demanded India sever all military ties with Israel in wake of the bloody conflict in Southern Lebanon.
Now, top defence officials are being forced to make ‘‘covert’’ visits to the Jewish state. Consider this: IAF chief Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi and Navy vice-chief Vice-Admiral Venkat Bharathan, among others, have made ‘‘secret’’ trips to Israel over the last five days, say sources.
On one hand, it underlines the fact that there has been no slowdown in the bilateral military relationship, with Israel becoming the second-largest defence supplier to India, notching sales worth around $900 million every year as compared to Russia’s $1,500 million.
On the other hand, it is amply clear that the Manmohan Singh government does not want the military relationship to figure on anybody’s radar screen, including its Left allies.
Sources say the bilateral relationship is only going to grow in the coming years, with negotiations or joint R&D projects underway for more advanced radars, long-endurance and high-altitude UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), electronic warfare systems, third-generation night-fighting capabilities and the like.
Missiles and anti-missile defence systems, of course, remain a priority area. ‘‘A wide array of missiles, ranging from Crystal Maze air-to-surface and Python air-to-air missiles to Popeye cruise missiles, have already been contracted or are being negotiated,’’ said sources.
The Navy, for instance, is pursuing the joint project to develop long-range surface-to-air missile systems to succeed the Barak-I anti-missile defence systems already inducted on several Indian warships. ‘‘While Barak-I has a 9-kmrange, the new missiles will have a 60-km range,’’ said sources.
India is also looking closely at the Israeli Arrow-II anti-ballistic missile defence system. India, incidentally, acquired two Green Pine early-warning and fire-control radars, a crucial component of the Arrow system which can detect and track hostile missiles from 500 km away, in 2001-2002.
IAF, on its part, is keen to acquire some more Aerostat radars, basically phased-array radars mounted on blimp-like balloons tethered to ground, to bolster air defence capabilities.
‘‘The final acceptance trials of the two Israeli Aerostat radars we got earlier are taking place in Gujarat and Punjab now. But, we need at least 10 more such radars. Though expensive, one Aerostat can substitute for 30-40 groundbased radars in providing three-dimensional low-altitude coverage,’’ said sources.
During his visit, ACM Tyagi also reviewed the progress of the $1.1-billion ‘Phalcon’ project, with the first of the three AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) scheduled for induction in November 2007.
Israel is helping with the modernisation of India’s Russian-origin platforms ranging from MiG-21s and MiG-27s to the T-72 tanks, apart from several other joint R&D projects.

 

[A.Rahman]

August 9, 1967, David Bengurian, the first Israeli Prime Minister, saw a grave danger posed by Pakistan in the following terms:-
"The world Zionism/Zionist movement should not be neglectful of the dangers of Pakistan to it. And Pakistan now should be its first target, for this ideological state is a threat to our existence. And Pakistan, the whole of it, hates Jews and loves Arabs. This lover of Arabs is more dangerous to us than the Arabs themselves. For that matter, it is most essential for the world of Zionism that it should take immediate steps against Pakistan "...then pointing to Indo-Israeli Alliance, he said: "Whereas the inhabitants of Indian Peninsula are Hindus whose hearts have been full of hatred, against Muslims, throughout history, like those of the Christians of Spain, that they had demonstrated in 1492, by eliminating all of them, after they had ruled them for over Eight Centuries; therefore, India is the most important country that provides the best base for us, after Spain, to work therefrom, against Pakistan. It is important for us that we exploit this base and strike and crush Pakistanis, enemies of Jews and Zionism, by all disguised and secret plans". (Dawn, December 6, 1983 Karachi).

 

[A.Rahman]

Israel is following the policy of this founder. btw where is mastan khan & the avid supporters of Pak-Israel relationship?

 

[REICHSLEITER]

bravo, i really hope indo-isreal relations grow every day.

 

[A.Rahman]

bravo, i really hope indo-isreal relations grow every day.

Israel's time will come too, you just wait.

 

[MIG_ACE]

Israel is following the policy of this founder. btw where is mastan khan & the avid supporters of Pak-Israel relationship? Hope he didint moved to Israel with them.

No. Israel is following a much simpler policy.Finding the best way to Make $$$$. Their defence industry is very advanced.They are just using it to make money.Nothing wrong with that every defence supplier works in the same way.

 

[EagleEyes]

Israel's time will come too, you just wait.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to link with Iran now and support them in building up nuclear weapons to crush these jews?

Ok it was a joke!

 

[KashifAsrar]

Wouldn't it be a good idea to link with Iran now and support them in building up nuclear weapons to crush these jews?

Ok it was a joke!

By the way for many this is not joke! But that is what they are trying for.

 

[ali ahmad]

No. Israel is following a much simpler policy.Finding the best way to Make $$$$. Their defence industry is very advanced.They are just using it to make money.Nothing wrong with that every defence supplier works in the same way.

jews have a long of following this make moneyy policy...but what hey got from it...???......they will have nothing in the end

 

[vnomad]

Israel's time will come too, you just wait.

Developing nuclear weapons and effective delivery systems guaranteed Israel's existence as a nation will remain unthreatened.
Israel's time isn't going to come during this century.

 

[MIG_ACE]

jews have a long of following this make moneyy policy...but what hey got from it...???......they will have nothing in the end

What they got from it??? Uh let me think...MONEY

 

[A.Rahman]

btw Jews and Zionist are different people.

keep that in mind

 

[Janbaz]

Developing nuclear weapons and effective delivery systems guaranteed Israel's existence as a nation will remain unthreatened.
Israel's time isn't going to come during this century.

No one know's what can happen. Iran nukes Israel and Israel launches a counter strike. But it cannot survive as it is as small as the New York-New Jersey metropolis. Maybe a bit bigger.

 

[Spring Onion]

I dont think so Iran will nuke Israel. AS far vipping out any nation i think is in itslef foolish idea.

Nor Israel can eliminate even Palistenians what to say about destroying Iranians.

As far threats, its Israel that has been and becoming a grave threat in ME and worse US had been made hostage by Israel.

 

[vnomad]

No one know's what can happen. Iran nukes Israel and Israel launches a counter strike. But it cannot survive as it is as small as the New York-New Jersey metropolis. Maybe a bit bigger.

Israel also has a very dense ABM coverage. Arrow, ArrowII, Patriot are all geared up for this very task. I would say Israel's ABM capability is progressing at a much better rate than Iran's BM programme. It helps if you've got Unkil Sam for a godfather.