*JERUSALEM – Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said Wednesday it had won a$777 million (680 million euro) order from India to buy defence systems forits navy.*
The deal with India’s state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited to supply themarine version of the Barak 8 air and missile defence system for seven morewarships follows a $630 million (551 million euro) order placed last year.
State-owned IAI, Israel’s largest defence firm, said worldwide sales of theBarak 8 system now totalled more than $6 billion.
Israel is among the world’s top arms dealers, with nearly 60 percent of itsdefence exports going to the Asia-Pacific region, according to Israelidefence ministry figures.
Russia is still by far India’s largest arms supplier. During a visit lastweek, President Vladimir Putin won an order for the S-400 surface-to-airmissile defence system, worth $5.2 billion according to an Indian source.
But as the United States has imposed sanctions on countries buying Russianmilitary hardware, India has sought to diversify its suppliers.
Washington and New Delhi announced plans last month for joint militaryexercises in 2019 and the United States is now India’s second-biggestsupplier.
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In April last year, Israel won 1.6 billion euros of orders from India,which it hailed as its largest ever arms export deal.
“It constitutes further proof that security is an investment not anexpense,” Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said of Wednesday’sdeal.
“Israel Aerospace Industries is a pillar of the nation that we mustconserve and strengthen,” he added, recalling his opposition to proposalsfor partial privatisation of the firm.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a “groundbreaking” first ever visit by anIndian premier to Israel in July last year to cement growing defence ties.- APP/AFP
