India Well-Placed as US–Israel Defence Partnership Shifts Towards Advanced Technology: Report

New Delhi: India is emerging as one of the biggest strategic beneficiaries of the deepening defence technology partnership between the United States and Israel, thanks to its strong defence ties with both countries, according to a report published in The Times of Israel.

The report, authored by global affairs commentator Saurav Dutt, argues that the latest US defence legislation is not about creating a NATO-style military alliance with Israel. Instead, it aims to build a closely integrated defence innovation ecosystem centred on cutting-edge technologies, a shift that could offer significant opportunities for India.

According to the report, India already occupies a unique position at the intersection of American and Israeli defence innovation, giving New Delhi a strategic advantage that only a handful of countries enjoy.

Over the past two decades, India has procured more than 10 billion US dollars worth of defence equipment from Israel, including airborne early warning aircraft, Barak missile systems, advanced radar networks, Heron drones, Harop loitering munitions and electronic warfare systems. Israel continues to be one of India's leading defence suppliers.

The report notes that increased US investment in Israel's defence sector is expected to accelerate the development of advanced military technologies through larger research budgets, deeper industrial cooperation and greater access to American research facilities.

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As India's strategic partnerships with both countries continue to expand, New Delhi could gain access to many of these next-generation capabilities through collaboration and joint development.

The analysis also highlights that the United States has already established a similar technology-focused framework with India. The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), launched in 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then US President Joe Biden, strengthened cooperation in key areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, telecommunications, space and defence technology.

It further points to the INDUS-X initiative, which connects startups, defence companies, investors and government agencies from both countries to encourage joint innovation and co-production in the defence sector.

On the India-Israel front, the report cites the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F) and ongoing cooperation on critical and emerging technologies led by the National Security Advisors of both countries as important pillars of the growing strategic relationship.

The report concludes that India's parallel technology partnerships with both Washington and Jerusalem place it in a uniquely favourable position, allowing it to benefit from closer US-Israel collaboration while strengthening its own defence and technological capabilities.

With inputs from IANS