Strategic Power Play: India and Israel Counter Pakistan-Turkey Axis with Joint Missile Manufacturing Surge
New Delhi Fast-Tracks Billions in Indo-Israeli Defence Deals, Emphasizing Domestic Production of Long-Range Missiles to Address Regional Threats
India-Israel Cement Partnership to Bolster Air Defence
India and Israel are decisively deepening their military-industrial collaboration, with New Delhi aggressively moving forward on the domestic manufacturing of advanced missile systems. This renewed push is widely viewed by defence analysts as a direct, strategic countermeasure to the burgeoning Pakistan-Turkey military alliance, which has raised concerns over technology transfer and diplomatic pressure across the Indo-Pacific.
India is set to finalize a $3.7 billion defence package with Israel, primarily focusing on additional units of the jointly developed Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM) system. Crucially, in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative, these critical air defence missiles—which intercept aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles—will be manufactured domestically by joint ventures such as Aerospace Systems India (ASI), a collaboration between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and India’s Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) or DRDO. This production ensures technological autonomy and resilience against supply chain disruptions.
Targeting the Pakistan-Turkey Nexus
The urgency behind this defence pivot is rooted in the increasing strategic alignment between Pakistan and Turkey. Reports confirm that Turkey has supplied advanced military hardware, including sophisticated drones and targeting systems, to Pakistan, which were reportedly used during recent skirmishes. Turkey’s diplomatic posturing, particularly its vocal support for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, has further cemented the axis as a primary strategic challenge for New Delhi.
India’s response has been to leverage its extensive partnership with Israel. Beyond the MR-SAM, New Delhi is actively pursuing the joint production of long-range precision-strike weapons like the IAI’s LORA ballistic missile (with a 400 km range) and the Ice Breaker cruise missile. Defence sources confirm the need for these extended-range weapons is vital for enabling Indian Air Force jets to strike deep inside enemy territory without entering the range of Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied air defence systems, significantly raising India’s deterrence capability against both its western and northern adversaries.
‘Make in India’ as Geopolitical Tool
The manufacturing agreements, extending beyond missiles to encompass small arms, carbines, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) via joint ventures like PLR Systems (IWI and Adani) and Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS), transform the Indo-Israeli relationship from a mere buyer-seller dynamic to a deep-seated technological alliance.
For India, this manufacturing base not only addresses military modernization but also serves as a potent geopolitical tool, solidifying ties with nations that share strategic interests and offering a sophisticated counter-balance to the influence of the Pakistan-Turkey alignment in global forums. The emphasis on locally produced, cutting-edge Israeli technology signals that India is prepared to respond decisively to any challenge to its sovereignty using a layered and domestically-controlled defence shield.