Ministry of Defense director general Gen. (res.) Amir Baram last week signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with his Indian counterpart Rajesh Kumar Singh for strengthening defense collaboration. India is the biggest customer of Israel’s defense industries, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Between 2020 and 2024, India accounted for about 34% of all Israel’s defense exports.
Building on this, a delegation from the Indian Ministry of Defense has secretly visited Israel, as reported on the “India Defense Research Wing” website, to reach agreements that would allow India to not only procure Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Air Lora ballistic missiles and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ice Breaker cruise missiles, but also to manufacture them.
Previous reports in India have already suggested that India wants Air Lora missiles following the great success of the Rampage missiles during recent skirmishes with Pakistan. Rampage has a range of about 250 kilometers, and the Indian Air Force deploys it on Sukhoi 30 and MiG 29 aircraft. It is very precise, but its range puts India’s combat aircraft at risk from Pakistan’s Chinese-produced air defense systems. The Air Lora missile has a range of 400 kilometers, which enables combat aircraft to hit their targets without endangering themselves in the face of advanced air defenses.
Air Lora, which was developed in IAI’s MLM Division, is designed for attacking missile sites, military bases, and air defense systems, without endangering planes and pilots. The missile weighs 1,600 kilograms, flies at supersonic speeds, and uses satellite navigation protected against disruption. One of its outstanding features is that it is “fire and forget”, meaning that once it has been launched at the target, there is no need to guide it. It can carry various warheads, for deployment against soft targets or against bunkers. With its 400 kilometers range and accuracy to within ten meters, it will enable India to hit any Pakistani base.
At the same time, India is also interested in the “Ice Breaker” cruise missile, which is designed for attacks at ranges of about 300 km against land and sea targets. The missile is effective in all weather conditions, can function well in environments saturated with electronic warfare, and has infrared (IIR)-based navigation and missile guidance capabilities, which, through AI, can acquire and identify targets.
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IAI is experienced in operations
Israeli defense industries in general, and IAI in particular, are very experienced in operations in India. In India, IAI, which manufactures LORA missiles, operates, among other things, its subsidiary Aerospace Services India (ASI), which was launched last year. The company was established as part of the cooperation between IAI and DRDO, the defense R&D body of the Indian government (the equivalent of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) (MAFAT), in the development and support of installations produced for India’s armed forces. ASI has 50 employees, 97% of whom are Indian citizens. The company’s offices are in Delhi, with plants throughout the subcontinent, manufacturing as part of the Make in India program. At the same time, IAI has ongoing collaborations with Indian companies.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on November 9, 2025.
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