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Israel Defense Industry Stays Busy with Orders

The government of India is set to purchase an advanced anti-aircraft system made in Israel to bolster its aging anti-aircraft defense capabilities, Indian newspapers reported over the weekend. New Delhi has been working for years to modernize its large military, and Israel has emerged as one of its primary suppliers of advanced arms. According to senior Indian defense officials, New Delhi will purchase four advanced weapons systems for the cost of roughly $240 million.

The latest deal between India and Jerusalem involves the Surface-to-Air PYthon and DERby, or SPYDER, truck-mounted air defense system. The SPYDER uses a combination of active radar missiles and infrared missiles to track and intercept jets, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and precision guided munitions. Developed by RAFAEL, a leading Israeli defense contractor, the SPYDER can reportedly track up to 60 targets at a time.

Another deal keeping the Israeli defense industry busy is an order from the Luftwaffe, the German air force, which has ordered $8 million worth of personal survival radios (PSRs) developed in Israel. Tadiran Spectralink won the contract, and is expected to lead to future orders for more PSRs and logistic support packages. Elbit Systems Ltd, Tadiran`s parent company and Israel`s largest publicly traded defense firm, expects similar orders from other European nations in the future.