Shaun
The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict may not have an immediate impact on Indian military hardware and maintenance support, except if it turns into another protracted conflict stretching several months, officials closely monitoring the conflict told Web Press Global.
“The war is too new as of now to show any displayable impact on Indian military spares or hardware,” a senior military official said, adding that any diversion of weapons stock can take place if the conflict is drawn out. This is significant as India is actively working on replenishing much of its Israeli-origin weapons which have been extensively used for Operation Sindoor against Pakistan last month in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, killing 26 people.
Over the last decade, India has purchased a range of military equipment and weapons from Israel covering missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, sensors and radars, air defence systems and small arms. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) data, in 2020-24, Israel accounted for 3.1% of global arms exports, eighth largest exporter globally. The largest single importer of Israeli arms was India at 34%, followed by the US at 13% and the Philippines at 8.1%, according to SIPRI data.
Some of the these include SkyStriker loitering munitions — they can “loiter” or hover in the air close to the designated target before self-destructing on impact — Heron and Searcher UAVs, Derby Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missiles, SPICE 2000 guided bombs, Spike anti-tank guided missiles, Spyder surface to air missile system, Barak 8 air defence system and Negev light machine guns and network radio communication equipment.
Many of these Israeli weapons and platforms acquired by India — particularly loitering munitions and air defence systems — were used during Operation Sindoor. Retaliating to Pakistan’s attack following Operation Sindoor, India has used its latest loitering munitions such as the Israeli HAROPs and the HARPYs.
Several Israeli companies have partnered and formed joint ventures with Indian companies and that will also help keep supplies to India going despite the war. “A range of high precision engineering companies in India carrying out contract manufacturing for Israelis is likely to ensure sustenance of Israeli-origin equipment remains unaffected,” an official said.
This is in contrast with the impact another ongoing global conflict — the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war — initially had on Indian military spare supplies and delayed delivery schedule of the S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile system units.
Officials explained this was because many of the big platforms in the Indian military such as fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, warships, air defence systems and small arms are of Soviet origin, requiring huge maintenance support from Russia, compared to the Israeli military hardware India has acquired over the years.
The impact was significant even as India has started the maintenance of many Soviet-era military equipment indigenously.
Another big factor that affected Russian military supplies to India was that the country was facing the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in 2017. Russia was subjected to more stringent economic sanctions from the west after the war started.
Before Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force had used the Israeli SPICE 2000 guided bombs for the Balakot air strikes in February 2019. The Army has procured advanced Heron drones from the country in the last two years to amplify surveillance along the Line of Actual Control amid the military standoff with China.
