Collaboration in Defence Systems Integration to be Expanded
At Aero India 2019 in Bangalore later this month, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) expects to expand collaboration with local leaders in integrating strategic state-of-the-art systems for the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a number of areas and in accordance with the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ policy, the company announced on 4 February. This spirit of collaborations is a logical continuation of IAI’s business deals in India, which totaled some US$1.9 billion in 2018.
IAI has been working with India’s defence industries and armed forces for the past 27 years under strategic collaboration agreements spanning many fields. The company collaborates with local companies and works with India’s defence agencies, as well as with the armed forces. Joint development projects include the MRSAM air defence system, in both its maritime and land-based versions; special mission aircraft; radar systems; and unmanned aerial systems (UAS. Collaboration agreements are based on transfer of technology for the benefit of local production.
“India is one of IAI’s main partners. This important partner is characterised by long-term collaboration, joint development and production, technology transfer and technical support over many years. We are working to nurture this relationship in the future, despite growing competition. The excellent reputation that IAI has earned among its Indian partners is vitally important to continuing this tradition of successful cooperation,” commented the company’s President & CEO, Nimrod Shefer.
At the exhibition, IAI will present a wide variety of strategic defence systems with an emphasis on MRSAM, the TecSar satellite and, in the loitering munitions category, the GREEN DRAGON, MINI HARPY and ROTEM. In the UAS domain, IAI will display the HERON TP and the BIRD EYE 650D, which enable a broad range of intelligence-gathering capabilities for various operations, and NRUAV.
IAI will also exhibit strategic radar systems, satellite communication systems and new electro-optical systems using the new Ultra-POP high definition technology. Additional developments on display will include modular and compact command and surveillance systems with stabilised gyros for nighttime and daytime observation at a competitive price. Finally, IAI will also present a selection of aircraft for intelligence missions, aerial control and naval surveillance on different platforms, including the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C), ELW 2090, ISTAR and ASIS mission aircraft.