On March 19, 2020, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth Rs 880 crore for the purchase of light machine guns with an Israeli firm. The acquisition wing of the Ministry of Defence has signed a capital acquisition contract with Israel Vepan Industries for purchase of 16,479 light machine guns at Rs 880 crore with the approval of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Light Machine Gun LMG
The contracted Negev 7.62X51 mm LMG is a combat-proven weapon and is currently used by many countries around the world. LMG, believed, would increase the lethality and extent of a soldier compared to the weapon currently used, the Insas LMG with a caliber of 5.56×45 mm. “The immediate and very critically needed weaponry of this operation will enhance the confidence of the border troops and provide much-needed combat power to the armed forces,” the ministry said.
India-Israel relations
- India and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1992. Since then, there has been a regular exchange of visits by political leaders, and bilateral relations between the two countries have improved greatly at all levels. The two countries have worked together in the fields of defense, agriculture, technology, security, and space.
- India’s Relations with Israel are at its historic peak after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit in 2017 and then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to India in 2018. The two leaders have demonstrated a commitment to take India-Israeli relations to the next level and move swiftly towards a strategic partnership.