ABSTRACT
India’s defence and security ties with West Asia has been a phenomena but dates back to more than a century. An interesting facet of the bilateral relationship was the access provided to India by Israel’s highly developed research and development industry and the engineering and technological support of their various institutions. India’s quest for technology and Israel’s need for economising defence research have therefore become complimentary. The US factor has played a significant role, though directly, in influencing Indo–Israeli defence ties. An interesting aspect of the Kargil War which has not received due attention is the pivotal role of a piece of equipment in Indian Air Forces inventory that was operationalised for the first time as the conflict progressed. Besides developing its highly effective and potent airpower capability, Israel’s strategic community has been advocating expanding the range and potential of its existing navy.
