India, Israel sign intel-sharing, missile-production deals
India and Israel have signed deals on intelligence-sharing and joint production of the Python quick-reaction missile, the Press Trust of India reports.
The deals came Monday during a visit to New Delhi by retired Brig. Gen. Pinchas Buchris, director general of the Israeli Defense Ministry.
PTI reported that Buchris held talks with Defense Secretary Vijay Singh, Army Chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor, Naval Chief Adm. Sureesh Mehta and Air Force Chief Fali Homi Major. He also met with National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Deputy National Security Adviser Shekhar Dutt, PTI reported.
During meetings, the two sides set up a mechanism for intelligence-sharing, PTI quoted Indian Defense Ministry sources as saying.
They also discussed the joint production of the Python for the Indian air force. India's Cabinet Committee on Security cleared a $2.5 billion joint production deal for the missile's manufacture in India, PTI reported.
Booming defense ties between India and Israel touched $7 billion last year. Israel is now India's No. 2 defense supplier. Russia is No. 1.
BrahMos gets Indian production unit
A Russian-Indian joint venture bought a manufacturing facility in India so it can double production of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
BrahMos bought the plant Monday from state-run Kerala Hightech Industries, allowing the joint venture to increase its annual missile production to 50.
India's Defense Research and Development Organization will invest $25 million in the plant over the next two years; the Indian Space Research Organization will invest $6 million.
Besides making the supersonic missiles, the facility will also make components for the ISRO-produced Astra rockets.
"I am happy to hand over Keltec to Brahmos," said Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. "Not because we are losing a public-sector unit. We hope that the sick public-sector unit is going to progress under the missile-making unit."
The facility was renamed BrahMos Aerospace (T) Ltd.
The BrahMos missile, which has a maximum range of 180 miles, can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft and land.
India, China end first joint training exercise
Uneasy neighbors India and China ended their first joint anti-terrorism exercises in China's Yunan province.
The weeklong exercise, dubbed "Hand in Hand," included 100 Indian troops, India's NDTV reported. Exercises ended last week and will likely go a long way toward building trust between the two countries.
Troops from both countries lived and trained at the Kunming military academy. They worked on counter-terrorism, close combat tactics and fired each others' weapons, NDTV reported.
"Counter-insurgency demands total trust from your team members," Col J.S. Budhwar, commanding officer of Indian contingent, told NDTV. "The job cannot be done otherwise, so troops from both sides are training in close cooperation."
China's Maj. Gen. Li Yung Xia said, "From what I saw today, both militaries are well trained. Both have their advantages, we can learn from each other."
After training for six days, the two sides staged a mock attack on a terrorist base along their common border. The task, to destroy the base and capture terrorists, was achieved in 90 minutes, NDTV reported.
India and China fought a brief but bitter border war in 1962, which India badly lost. The two countries still have territorial disputes that they have pledged to resolve through dialogue.
Trade between the two countries is growing, however, and increased defense cooperation is expected to bring them closer.
