How Israel’s War Test India’s Defense Strategy

Today India and Israel have a vibrant strategic partnership, based on common security concerns, intelligence cooperation, military cooperation and business ties. The bilateral ties between the 2 states have improved since 1992, but the conflicts involving Israel will bring to the fore numerous complications for India’s entangling defense dynamics, it’s not only delays in weapons deliveries.

Aligning the Relationship to the Strategic Shifts and the Foundations of the Relationship.

There were both external and internal factors that led to India’s pivot towards Israel in the 1990s. The decline of the Cold War and the break-down of the Soviet Union, India’s big gun producer, created a strategic void. Israel, on the other hand, could provide high tech military equipment, asymmetric warfare know-how and readiness to operate covertly. The cooperation grew, in the early 21st century with the security needs and complementariness of both sides.

Successive Indian governments, especially those led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the current government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have seen a blossoming relationship with Israel. But the Israeli wars reveal the weaknesses of this alliance and India has to review some of its defense plans.

The first result of the war in Israel is a disruption of military-industrial cooperation. Israel’s defense companies are integrated into the world arms market, but at the time of war, they cater more to the demands of the IDF.

This requires that resources (human, technical and material) are diverted from exports and collaborations.

During these conflicts India, which has numerous joint production, R&D and procurement projects with Israel can suffer from supply chain delays, delayed deliveries, and slower technology transfer.

The strategic expense is not only material and involves India in a rethink of military readiness, particularly in sensitive areas such as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the border with Pakistan

The impact on India’s Strategic Autonomy and Defense Planning

The conflicts in Israel also make India rethink its strategic autonomy which is a major tenet of its foreign and defense policy. As India’s defense cooperation with and intelligence support from Israel continues to grow, it is becoming more involved in Israel’s regional conflicts.

This raises geopolitical issues. In the event of Israel going to war against Iran or Hezbollah, India will have to navigate its relationship with Iran, not only as its energy power but also as a key link to Central Asian countries, without hurting its ally, Israel. It is particularly tricky in states of crisis when India tends to abstain from voting on UN resolutions that condemn Israel as opposed to voting in favor or against.

Israeli wars therefore limit Indian foreign policy options and push India towards the Western aligned groups and at the same time force it to tread carefully to avoid Islamic world sensitivities.

In addition, the political climate in India has an impact on the effect of the Israeli wars on the defense sector. Moreover, the political environment in India has an impact on the impact of Israeli wars in the defense ecosystem. Historically the Congress party had distanced itself from Israel, but the BJP has taken the strategic and ideological plunge towards Israel on the common ground of threats posed by Islamist terrorism and insurgency from across the border.

Politically, it has repercussions at home. Israel has been engaged in a number of wars since 1948 – notably with heavy civilian casualties which have sparked domestic political discussion on India’s foreign policy and worry its Muslim majority community. Such discussions can impact the speed of bilateral defense cooperation, and at times governments shift their tone to prevent polarization or a backlash at home.

Furthermore, Israeli wars generate media narratives and policy debates in India that further the logic of escalating India’s military force, expanding surveillance and counter-terrorism laws, and establishing a connection between global and domestic security agendas.

Israel is a potential source of adversely affecting the Indian defense industrial base in the event of a conflict. A few Indian companies like Bharat Electronics, DRDO and private sector arms manufacturers have been involved in joint production or component integration with Israeli companies.

During wartime, Israel may be unable to supply some of its critical subsystems, production delays or less support for Indian integration programs.

This disruption can also be a catalyst for indigenization, however. In the field of defense, India aims to lessen its reliance on foreign equipment through its “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-Reliant India) initiative. Restrictions in Israeli wartime could speed up local R&D, foster public-private partnerships, and force India to look for local solutions to technologies previously provided by Israel.

Though the challenges are immense, Israeli wars serve as good tactical lessons for India. The Indian military planners are keenly interested in Israel’s quick response, hybrid warfare and innovations in the combat and border control of urban areas. Such instances enable India to fine-tune its tenets, especially those of countering insurgency and cross-border terrorism and high-tech surveillance.

Besides technology, India is also using Israel for strategic thinking and adopting from Israel’s experience, such as homeland security, deterrence, and cyber defense.

During Israeli wars, Indian diplomacy is put to a greater test. India is a country with connections to Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Palestine and has to balance competing interests. It may offend one partner, while appealing to another. These balancing acts become more precarious in times of war, particularly when it comes to high-visibility international crises.

Israel’s conflicts leave an impact on India’s defense system in many different ways. They expose the pros and cons of this close relationship: India benefits from cutting-edge military thinking and field-proven technologies, but is also exposed to potential delays, political issues, and regional tensions.