Shalom! and Shame

Two striking events—one showing weapons superiority by a nation smaller than Manipur and the other an 'achievement' in satellite technology by a country more than hundred times bigger than the tiny republic—made headlines in April this year. And the two were connected inextricably. The first sure has been erased from public memory considering Indians' hunger for the fluff, but the second sure will be alive in the corridors of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian defence establishment for an aeon.

The first was the inking of a deal between military giant Russia and the emerging Goliath in arms export, Israel, on May 10 under which the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) would supply Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to Moscow after Russian unmanned drones performed poorly during the war with Georgia last August. According to an April 10 The Jerusalem Post report, “Israel's decision to sell advanced UAVs to Russia was made after Moscow gave assurances it would not transfer the technology to Iran or Syria and will suspend the sale of anti-aircraft systems to these countries. This is the first sale of Israeli military hardware to Russia. Before agreeing to it, Israel needed to receive permission from the United States”.


Moscow developed an interest in Israeli drones after Tbilisi operated Hermes-450 drones right), manufactured by Israeli private arms company Elbit Systems, to gather intelligence during the war against Russia. Major General Amos Gilad, head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau, had visited Russia and reportedly received assurances that Moscow would not sell the advanced multi-target anti-aircraft missile S-300 system—with a range of about 200 kilometres and target reach of 90,000 feet high—to Iran. Besides, what perturbed Israel was the S-300's capability to track up to hundred targets simultaneously while engaging up to 12 at the same time. Iran already has Russian TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles, according to the Israeli daily.

The IAI would sell Russia in the first stage of the $50-million deal some of its second-tier UAVs, including the Bird-Eye 400 mini-UAV, the I-view MK150 tactical UAV and the Searcher Mk II medium-range UAV (left). The newspaper added that it was possible that the deal would include the sale of IAI's long-range Heron, which can stay in the air for over 50 hours at an altitude of 35,000 feet.

Another Israeli daily Haaretz reported, the UAVs do not use American technology and are manufactured in Israel. The most praiseworthy and technologically brilliant aspect of the deal is that this small nation will sell UAVs to a country that is several times bigger in area, is among the top five arms exporters, and was once part of the Communist superpower block.

The second event grabbed headlines not only in the Indian media but in international dailies as well owing to India entry into spy satellite technology on April 20—though the event was shaped after the 26/11 jolt. When the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, placing two satellites the 300-kg Risat-2 (left) and the 40-kg micro satellite Anusat in their orbits, India joined the elite club of countries with spy satellites.

The defence sector had been strongly advocating the need for a satellite spy to monitor the borders, terror camps in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan itself, and track hostile missiles. What made the demand more pressing was the Mumbai mayhem last November. Had an 'eye in the sky' been there to track the terrorists, who came by boat from Karachi, the attacks could have been avoided. What makes the all-weather Risat-2 a class apart is its ability to take photographs of Earth from an altitude of 550 kms through thick clouds and night vision using a top-secret synthetic aperture radar. The Risat-2 is a giant stride ahead of our indigenous visual satellites, including CARTOSAT, India's medium-resolution reconnaissance satellite launched last year.

But while the ISRO earned accolades for placing a secret agent in space—though its Chairman G Madhavan Nair vehemently denied that it was a spy satellite for reasons best known to him—that 'tiny nation' was back in news.''RISAT-2 is another earth observation satellite. I want to clarify that. There is nothing like a spy satellite at ISRO,” he said.

Yes, it was Israel again. Perhaps, it was Israel's gallop in satellite technology compared to our shocking saunters or the usually petrified Indian government fearing a rebuke from Uncle Sam that had Nair in the denial mode. Juxtaposing the technological leap and weapons advancement of Israel and our relaxed gait shows on one hand what 'a deadly determination to foil terror plans of enemies, and diligence and innovation can do, one the other, it exposes the Indian laxity and shows our fledgling arms industry in poor light. Risat-2, made by the IAI, has a clear edge over Indian satellites, which cannot photograph during night or under cloudy conditions or rains.

In January 2008, India launched the first Israeli spy satellite, the 300-kg Tecsar called Polaris (right), also built by IAI. The Risat-2 is an enhanced version of Polaris. Even the Polaris was equipped with a camera that could take pictures in almost any weather condition. Israel reportedly took the decision to launch the satellite from India because it lacks a vehicle capable of boosting the satellite into a polar orbit. According to the BBC, Tescar was a SAR technology satellite, the design, development and fabrication of which were led by MBT Space, a division of the IAI with the participation of other high-tech industries.

The launch of Polaris, originally scheduled for September 2007, was shrouded in secrecy. A section of the media speculated that the launch was abandoned following pressure from countries, a claim strongly denied by ISRO, which cited non-resolution of technical issues as the reason for the delay, the BBC added.

India gained independence just one year before Israel was formed, but lags light years in high-grade weapons production, including tanks and fighter jets. Compared to India's massive size, 3,287,590 sq km, Israel resembles a tiny droplet, smaller than Meghalaya—the total area under Israeli law, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, is merely 22, 072 square kms. But Israel's quantum leap in high-grade weapons production and technology outshines not only India, but several other stronger and bigger nations.

According to The Associated Press, Israel became the world's fourth largest defense exporter in 2007, surpassing Britain, with $4.3 billion in signed contracts. Israel exports mostly radar systems, drones and anti-tank missiles to India, Turkey, Britain, the US and other Western nations. The Middle East's only nuclear power also produces a wide range of products from ammunition, small arms and artillery pieces to sophisticated electronic systems and the world's most advanced tank, Merkava. Only the US, Russia and France export more arms than Israel, according to the Israeli Defence Ministry.

A country born out of turmoil and having faced five major wars—one soon after its formation in which Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon attacked Israel—had no other option but to built a comprehensive army and equip it with a lethal arsenal. These sophisticated arms not only shield the country from its enemies but are also in great demand in other nations, including the US.

Unlike India, which used its soldiers as cannon fodder in the four wars with Pakistan (1947, '65, '71 and '99) and the one with China ('62), Israelis started setting up covert small arms factories as early as 1920s sensing a security threat. Jews started producing hand grenades and explosives to shield against hostile Arabs. Haganah (the pre-state Jewish underground defence organisation) set up clandestine small arms factories in '30s which became the Israel Military Industries (IMI) in 1948. In the first two decades after independence, the IMI produced many of the basic weapons used by its army, including the Uzi sub-machine gun.

The 1967 Six-Day War with Arab countries acted as a catalyst to further stoke the Jewish ingenuity in armaments. As they say, necessity is the mother of all inventions—definitely not applicable to India— France imposed an embargo on arms sales to Israel, including Mirages, forcing it to develop its own production with assistance from the US. The IAI started developing and assembling a variety of its own aircraft, including the Nesher (the Eagle) and the Kfir (the Lion Cub and a replacement for the Mirage).


The Nesher (above), the Israeli version of the Dassault Mirage 5 multi-role fighter aircraft, is a multi-role single-seat fighter which can reach a speed of 2.1 mach and a range of 1,300 km. The Nesher was identical to the Mirage 5, except for the use of some Israeli avionics, a Martin-Baker zero-zero ejector seat, and provisions for a wider range of AAMs, including the Israeli Shafrir heat-seeking missile.

When the Yom Kippur War broke out in October, 1973, the Israeli Air Force had 40 Nesher planes. Although they were originally intended for attack missions, the Neshers were primarily used in air-to-air combat. The Neshers were clear winners in dogfights with the MiGs and Sukhois: according to the statistics published after the war, in the 117 dogfights that took place, 227 enemy planes were shot down. In the '80s, the Neshers were sold to Argentina, where they were renamed Dagger, and saw much action against the British in the Falklands War. They were later upgraded as Fingers.


The Kfir (above), based on a modified Dassault Mirage 5 airframe and fitted with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine, is a single seat multi-task fighter. It can acquire a maximum speed of 2,285 kph and range of 1,300 km. It is equipped with 2× Rafael-built 30 mm DEFA 553 cannons, 140 rounds/gun, assortment of unguided air-to-ground rockets, 2× AIM-9 Sidewinders or Python-series AAMs; 2× Shrike ARMs; 2× AGM-65 Maverick ASMs, and bombs weighing 6,085 kg, including the Mark 80 series, Paveway series of LGBs, Griffin LGBs, TAL-1 OR TAL-2 CBUs, BLU-107 Matra Durandal and reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks.

The Kfir was given its first chance to prove its mettle on November 9, 1977. The Kfirs destroyed targets with a vengeance at Tel Azia, a terrorist training base in Lebanon. In '79, an 'air war' began in the skies over Lebanon. On June 27, the first dogfight took place as F-15s and Kfirs were assigned to cover other planes that were attacking terrorist targets between Lake Kar'un and the port of Sidon. In the dogfight that ensued, five Syrian MiG-21s were shot down, and the Kfir registered its first kill. In the next attacks against Lebanon, from the Litani Operation up to the Peace for Galilee, the Kfirs participated actively and proved their ability for pinpoint strikes.

The Kfir roared in other foreign skies as well with Colombia, Ecuador and Sri Lanka signing purchase deals with Israel. The amazing jet was also leased to the US Navy and the Marine Corps for use in their Aggressor Squadrons, where its excellent performance in aerial combat and low operating costs made it an ideal choice for helping American pilots train against a simulated enemy threat.

The IAI also built a transport aircraft called Arava in the late 1960s. Intended both for the military and civil market, it found customers in third world countries, especially in Central and South America as well as Swaziland and Thailand.


Meanwhile, the need for a more powerful and safer main battle tank (MBT) was felt. During the Yom Kippur War, Israeli armour suffered heavy losses from Egyptian and Syrian wire-guided anti-tank missiles. The high casualty rate spurred the IDF, which had previously depended on US Patton and Sherman tanks and British Centurion tanks, to develop the Merkava (the Chariot, above), considered one of the world's most effective and safest battle tanks. Again ingenuity and concern for maximum security were the primary concerns. The placement of the tank's engine at the front of the vehicle, where it serves as a shield for the personnel compartment, provided more space in the vehicle's rear. Resultantly, six extra soldiers could be carried. Besides, a special canopy protects the commander from indirect fire; the turret and the hull are fitted with a modular armour system that can be changed in the field; and the forward section of the turret is fitted with additional blocks of armour that provide extra protection against the latest generation of anti-tank missiles. A skirt of chains with ball weights is attached to the lower half of the turret, causing incoming projectiles to detonate on impact with the chains instead of penetrating the turret ring.

The tank became operative in 1979, and was first employed in Peace for Galilee. The main 120-mm gun, developed by Israel Military Industries, is enclosed in a thermal sleeve that increases accuracy by preventing heat distortion. With the exception of the engine, all systems and assemblies of the Merkava tanks are of Israeli design and manufacture.


The IAI almost reached a milestone in late '80s with the development of an all-Israeli military aircraft, the Lavi (the Lion, above). After developing avionics, electronics and weapons systems for the aircraft, Israel tested the first prototype in '68. The fighter was equipped with a 1×30 mm DEFA cannon and bombs weighing 7,260 kgs. However, under financial constraints and American pressure that the fighter would compete with US exports, the project was cancelled next year. But Israel diverted its resources to production of advanced radar systems, precision weapon systems, UAVs and commercial and military aircraft conversion. The IAI diversified and expanded with funding from the US, and developed the Amos and Ofeq satellites.

The military's lethal armour also includes a wide array of helicopter gunships, including the US-made deadly Cobras and Apaches. Besides, Israel manufactured the Racquet (the Machbet) in the late 90s, which contains a Vulcan cannon and a pod containing four stinger missiles to intercept low-flying aircrafts.

In '87, when the Arab countries acquired long ranged surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs), Israel signed an agreement with the US to assemble a prototype for an anti-SSM the Arrow (left). The Arrow system’s radar, designated Green Pine, is of the most sophisticated type ever built in the country and one of the most advanced in the world. The Arrow is the most advanced missile of its kind in the world, and is capable of developing a speed of approximately nine mach. Besides, Israel manufactures a long-range electro-optical missile called Delilah (below Arrow's image), optimised to strike high-value, time-critical moving and relocatable targets. Delilah, operated by fighter aircraft, enables the elimination of SAM and SAS threats and assure quick reaction time required between the detection of such threat to its engagement and destruction.

The Israeli arms industry is not just content with attacking enemy aircraft and missiles, it also manufactures missiles that destroy enemy rockets and missiles midway. The 105-mm anti-personnel/anti-matériel (Apam) round is intended to provide tank crews with the means to neutralise infantry tank killer squads armed with anti-tank missiles and rockets. The intention was to provide tank crews with a weapon that would have been effective over a general area by providing air bursts created by six sub-munitions ejected from the base of the projectile as it travels over an area of terrain.

Besides, Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Armament Development Authority built Python, part of the family of AAMs. The first was the Shafrir-1 missile developed in 1959, followed by the Shafrir-2 in early 1970s. Afterwards the missiles were given the western name of Python. Then there is Alto missile, also known as the Derby, a medium-range active-radar seeker missile.

Israel also developed Spyder (surface-to-air PYthon and DERby, right), an anti-aircraft missile system manufactured by Rafael which is a quick reaction medium-range missile system. Spyder is capable of engaging aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, drones and precision-guided munitions. The kill range is from less than 1 km to more than 15 kms and at altitudes from a minimum of 20 mts to a maximum of 9,000 mts. The system is capable of multi-target simultaneous engagement and also single, multiple and ripple firing by day and night and in all weathers.

When it comes to small arms, Israel is far ahead of some of the most advanced nations. Its TAR 21 (above) is a bullpup assault rifle chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition with a selective fire system. The name TAR 21 stands for Tavor Assault Rifle-21st Century. It is the standard issued weapon of the Givati Brigade and the Golani Brigade with the Nahal Brigade to receive it by 2010. The TAR 21 will become the standard Israeli infantry weapon. India has purchased the rifles for its para commandos. India has also purchased Israeli Galil sniper rifles (below), which are improved Galil assault rifles, redesigned to fire 7.62mm Nato cartridge.

There are approximately 150 defense firms in Israel with combined revenues of an estimated $3.5 billion. The three largest entities are the government-owned IAI, IMI and the Rafael Arms Development Authority. The medium-sized privately owned companies include Elbit Systems and the Tadiran Group. Israel's UAVs, including the Hunter, have now become standard for military establishments in many countries around world.

Coming to behemoth India, our soldiers were armed with .303 rifles, which are not even self-loading, in the first two Indo-Pak wars and the Indo-China War. The sheer thought of Indian soldiers butchered by Kalashnikov-armed People's Liberation Army is both disgusting and shocking. The '71 War was no better with our soldiers using the fusil automatique léger (light automatic rifle) or FAL, a 7.62x51 Nato self-loading, selective fire rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. Even the present Indian official rifle, the INSAS, is no better with a three-round burst, two more than the FAL. For us, economy of bullets is dearer than the lives of our soldiers!

Our own so-called Light Combat Aircraft or Tejas is still undergoing testing after having been conceptualised as early as 1983—hats off to the laxity. As far as the MBT Arjun goes, the results are again dismal. Although the Defence Research and Development Organisation started its development in the '70s, mass production started as late as '96. Even then the first five units were not delivered until 2004. The delay forced the Army to order vast numbers of Russian T-90S tanks. The Army has shown little interest in the Arjun, believing it will soon be obsolete.

It's better not to mention the Mossad, the Shin Bet and the Aman especially considering the performance of the Raw and the CBI.

So where do we stand? Nowhere, considering the threats from Pakistan and a belligerent China. Shame on India.