Indian contingent to attend major multilateral military drill in Israel
In a first, an Indian contingent is all set to take part in a military exercise in Israel. A C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft with 45 personnel, including members of the Indian Air Force's special force, the Garud Commando Forces, will take part in the high-profile Blue Flag 17 multilateral military exercise. The exercise will be held between November 2-16. Here's more about it.
What is the Blue Flag military exercise?
Blue Flag is a multilateral military exercise hosted by Israel twice a year. It is held at the Uvda Air Force base and is participated in by major powers, including the US, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, and Poland.
India-Israel defense relations
India-Israel defense ties have steadily improved over the past few years. India is the largest buyer of Israel's defense supplies, while Israel is India's third largest defense supplier, behind Russia and the US. In the past decade, Israel has supplied state-of-the-art military equipment worth $10 billion to India. However, both sides haven't held any major military-to-military joint exercises.
India's participation in Blue Flag: Why is this significant?
This is India's first participation in an Israeli military drill and can be seen as a sign of deepening defense ties following PM Narendra Modi's Israel visit in July. According to an Indian official, participation in the exercise would give the IAF "an opportunity to share and learn best practices with some of the best professionals from other air forces."
