Tel Aviv: India has approved a major defence procurement package from Israel valued at around $8.6–8.7 billion in early 2026.
India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the package, focusing on precision-strike munitions to enhance the Indian Air Force’s standoff capabilities against regional threats.
The deal includes SPICE-1000 precision-guided bombs (up to 100 km range, electro-optical guidance with <3m accuracy) from Rafael, Rampage air-to-surface missiles (150–250 km range, integrated on Su-30MKI and MiG-29) from Elbit Systems, Air-LORA air-launched ballistic missiles (400 km range, supersonic, fire-and-forget) from Israel Aerospace Industries, and Ice Breaker missiles (up to 300 km, AI-enhanced infrared guidance for land/sea targets) from Rafael.
The deal positions Israel as India’s second-largest arms supplier after France, building on $20.5 billion in sales from 2020–2024 (34% of Israel’s exports according to SIPRI).
The procurement addresses needs along tense borders, like with Pakistan and China, emphasising jam-resistant, all-weather systems amid squadron shortages. It aligns with India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative through potential tech transfers and local integration.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
