Asian countries actively cooperate with Israel on weapons modernization programs
The operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria has clearly demonstrated the role of modern weapons and military equipment. There are few manufacturers in the world whose military-technical products can compete with American or Russian ones. Israel belongs to this category of countries.
It competes with leading manufacturers in their traditional markets - with Russia in India and Vietnam, with the United States in South Korea. Let us consider, based on the materials of the IBV expert M. V. Kazanin, what is happening in the field of military-technical cooperation between Israel and its Asian partners.
Vietnam: from Galila to Spike
The Z111 plant built in Thanh Hoa for the licensed production of Galil ACE automatic assault rifles of modifications 31 and 32 of the IWI Ltd. The contract value was $ 100 million.
The prerequisite was the positive results of trial operation since 2011 in units of the SRV Armed Forces of such models of small arms of Israeli production as the TAR-21 Tavor assault rifle, Uzi submachine gun, Negev light machine gun, Matador grenade launcher. Hanoi acquires these samples of weapons and military equipment for the ground forces and special forces units of the Marine Corps of the Navy.
The military-political leadership of the SRV monitors the experience of operating the Israeli Heron and Searcher Mk.2 UAVs as part of the Indian Navy squadron (deployed at the Tamil Nadu naval base).
The interest of the Vietnamese military is also aroused by the Spike NLOS anti-tank guided missile, which makes it possible to destroy enemy armored vehicles at a distance of 25 kilometers, which significantly exceeds the range of American, European, Russian and Chinese-made ATGMs. Spike NLOS has one drawback: weight - 70 kilograms, which makes it possible to install it on a mobile (car, helicopter) carrier.
The Israeli company IMI supplied the SRV with the first batch of high-precision ammunition of the EXTRA and ACCULAR series for mobile launchers of the MLRS LAR-160, which are equipped with the 685th missile and artillery battalion of the fourth naval district of the SRV. The area of responsibility of this military unit is the Nansha Archipelago in the South China Sea.
Performance characteristics of jet ammunition of the EXTRA series: caliber - 306 millimeters, flight range - 150 kilometers, deviation from the target - 10 meters, warhead weight - 120 kilograms. Launchers of this MLRS are mounted on a cargo vehicle platform in an amount from two to 16.
Performance characteristics of the ACCULAR series ammunition: caliber - 160 millimeters, flight range - 40 kilometers, deviation from the target - 10 meters, warhead weight - 35 kilograms. Israeli gunsmiths talk about the long shelf life of the ammunition without compromising its reliability.
Chinese experts note that Hanoi's choice of Israeli MLRS for coastal artillery and missile forces cannot be considered optimal, since the Russian Tornado-G 122 mm caliber has a comparable firing range and large ammunition.
According to the SRV media, for the needs of the country's air defense units, SPYDER anti-aircraft missile systems (one control vehicle and six mobile launchers) are being purchased in Israel, the armament of which includes Python-5 and Derby missiles.
The altitude of these missiles varies from 20 to 9000 meters, the range is from one to 15 kilometers. They allow you to destroy aerodynamic targets (helicopters, UAVs) at short and medium range, which seriously complements the capabilities of anti-aircraft artillery (23-mm and 35-mm) air defense.
Thanks to contacts with Israeli companies Rafael and Elta, Hanoi began to create its own missile defense system. To ensure its stable operation, several EL / M 2106 ATAR three-dimensional airborne lighting radars were purchased, as well as EL / M-2084 MMR stations, which are part of the Iron Dome missile defense system. The Vietnamese version of this complex allows you to intercept ballistic targets at a range of 35 and an altitude of 16 kilometers.
Vietnamese experts emphasize the high resistance of the aforementioned Israeli radars to interference, as well as the possibility of creating a single information processing network when connected with friend or foe identification systems and communication stations.
Israeli experts admit that it is quite difficult to win a place in the arms market in those countries that have received highly reliable Soviet weapons and military equipment for several decades. Obviously, with the growing tension in the South China Sea, the military-technical cooperation of Israel and Vietnam will continue with the expansion of its directions. Hanoi is closely watching the cooperation of the Israeli military-industrial complex with India and Korea.
India: both in friendship and in the special service
The Israeli military-industrial complex has become the fourth supplier of weapons and military equipment for New Delhi. At present, the level of mutual understanding between states is so high that Tel Aviv trusts Indian missile engineers to launch reconnaissance satellites into orbit. The importance of Israeli developments in this case is due to the need to maintain a military-strategic balance with the PRC.
In 2015, the Indian Air Force adopted aircraft (according to unofficial data - four) G550 early warning and control aircraft, built by Elta, part of the IAI corporation, on the basis of the Embraer 145 civilian aircraft. nine hours without refueling, but their main disadvantage is attachment to the home airfield, since the radar equipment does not allow monitoring a large sector of the airspace.
To increase the Air Force's ability to detect air targets and coordinate aviation, New Delhi allocated more than $ 3 billion in 2016 in contracts with Israeli suppliers. The Indian Air Force is expected to supply three sets of equipment for the Phalcon long-range radar surveillance and control system (AWACS). The likely value of the contract is $ 370 million. The system will be mounted on Russian Il-76s.
Note that in the 90s, Israeli specialists gained experience in installing sophisticated equipment in the PRC, where they were modernizing Russian AWACS A-50 aircraft. At the same time, modern Israeli radars and equipment make it possible to steadily detect, identify and track over 200 targets simultaneously at a distance of 800 kilometers or more.
UAVs of Israeli production are in great demand among the Indian military. It is known that in 2013 the IAI corporation received an order for 15 Heron reconnaissance UAVs (the contract value is $ 250 million) with an option for another 20 units, and in 2015 the Indian military contracted 10 Heron TR UAVs (aka Eitan, equipped with a diesel engine, flight duration - up to 37 hours). Probably, the Indian Air Force also acquired eight Searcher Mk.2 UAVs.
IAI, in cooperation with the Indian company Alpha, produces UAVs of the Mini (Bird-Eye 650, weight - 30 kilograms) and “Micro” (Bird-Eye 400, weight - 1.2 kilograms). The Israeli company Innocom for the needs of the Indian Navy and Air Force supplies UAVs of the "Micro" class (Spider, weight - 2.5 kilograms and Bluebird, weight - one kilogram). The total cost of contracts for these devices is $ 1.25 billion.
Among other things, Israeli defense concerns are helping Indian designers to create their own weapons and military equipment. Thus, Rafael specialists took an active part in the development of the Debi missile (air-to-air, medium-range, active radar and infrared guidance). IAI provided the EL / M-2052 active phased array radar (proven on F-16 fighters). It was IAI that assisted Indian designers in the creation of a light helicopter "Dhruv": provided electrical systems, instruments, sights and weapons systems.
Since 2013, Spice-250 high-precision aviation ammunition has been purchased from the Rafael corporation to arm the Indian Air Force bomber and fighter aviation units. They are equipped with four guidance systems (satellite, inertial, laser and television), which guarantees the destruction of terrorist infrastructure even in dense urban areas. The weight of 250 kilograms and high accuracy make it possible to arm MiG-29 airplanes with such ammunition and to carry out bombing at a considerable distance from objects (up to 100 kilometers). The only drawback is the high cost in comparison with free-fall and corrected bombs.
To increase the capabilities of the Su-30MKI, MiG-29 and others in the fight against ground targets, the Indian Air Force acquired 164 container laser and optical guidance systems from Israel.
For the needs of the air defense units of the Air Force and the naval air defense of the Navy, anti-aircraft missile systems Barak-8 (Barak-NG) are regularly purchased. The complexes allow stably hitting aerodynamic aerodynamic targets at a distance of up to 70 kilometers.
IAI and Rafael corporations, in cooperation with Indian Bharat Dynamics, Tata Power SE and Larse & Toubro, manufacture mobile versions of the Barak-8 air defense system for ground forces, and are also conducting R&D projects over promising medium and long-range air defense systems. The contracts are worth $ 1.5 billion.
Israeli-made Green Pine radars are used to detect launches of ballistic missiles and ensure the guidance of interceptor missiles. It was these stations that made it possible to conduct successful tests of the Indian national missile defense system. For New Delhi, this is of strategic importance, in connection with the development of missile technologies in Pakistan and China, it is necessary to pay great attention to the formation of its own missile forces and missile defense units.
Israeli company Elbit and India's Windward are developing surveillance and reconnaissance systems for the fleet. The basis will be the Israeli UAVs Hermes 900 and Hermes 1500. The devices will allow for long-term patrols of sea borders, recognition and classification of ships. And it is believed that they will help in the confrontation with the intelligence of the PLA Navy.
With regard to the naval air defense, we note that the Barak-8 air defense system is installed on modern patrol boats and destroyers, as well as on a nationally built aircraft carrier. In addition, the Israeli military-industrial complex received a contract worth 163 million for the supply of 262 Barak-1 anti-ship missiles.
For the Indian Army units, Israeli gunsmiths supply modern anti-tank guided missile systems Spike. A contract was signed for the supply of 321 launchers and 8356 rounds for them. Israeli companies are involved in the development of 155 mm ammunition for self-propelled guns, as well as missiles for the gun of the Indian national tank "Arjun Mk.1".
One of the latest joint projects is the Laser Fence. It is about creating a modern system for monitoring the state border with Pakistan.
The Israeli special services MOSSAD, SHABAK and AMAN trained Indian specialists in the fight against Islamists. The IDF special forces trained 3,000 Indian soldiers. The curator of military-political cooperation is Brigadier General Avriel Bar-Yosef, Chief of Staff for National Security at the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel.
South Korea under the "iron dome"
Among Israel's partners in the defense sector is the Republic of Korea, which is adjacent to such nuclear-missile countries as the PRC and the DPRK. With Pyongyang actively working on technologies for the production of ICBMs capable of delivering nuclear weapons, the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan is forced to look for partners in creating a missile defense system.
Seoul is interested in acquiring the Iron Dome of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. The South Korean military is aware of the effectiveness of the system for intercepting short-range missiles and MLRS shells. According to Israeli engineers, it will provide reliable protection for Seoul from rockets. However, it is useless in the case of ballistic missiles.
According to the Korean Ambassador to Israel, Kim Il Su, the Iron Dome fully meets the requirements of the official Seoul, since it can be deployed in conditions of high population density and with a sufficient number of interceptor missiles it can successfully operate in the event of a massive (up to a thousand units) enemy strike.
In 2014, the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan approved the acquisition of a complex for the formation of a missile defense system of especially important objects. The contract value is $ 225 million.
According to the plan of South Korean strategists, Israeli developments should complement the country's air defense / missile defense system, which is formed from the Patriot PAC-2 and Patriot PAC-3 air defense systems, as well as the AN / TPY-2 X-band radar. In addition to American stations, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan have adopted EL / M2028 Green Pine Block B, developed by specialists from the Israeli companies Israel Aerospace Industries and Elta. These radars steadily detect targets at a distance of 480 kilometers, and the maximum range is 800 kilometers. In fact, EL / M2028 Green Pine Block B allows you to observe the airspace of the DPRK and over part of the territory of the PRC and the Russian Federation.
Two such radars were purchased by the official Seoul in 2012 for $ 215 million. The choice is justified by the use of Strela-2 as part of the Israeli missile defense system. This technique works more steadily than the American one, while complementing the 48 Patriot air defense systems.
The second in importance for the defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan was the Spike NLOS ATGM. The contract value is $ 43 million. This modification is intended for deployment on helicopters, light armored vehicles and ships (boats). Allows you to hit armored vehicles at a distance of up to 24 kilometers. High accuracy and resistance to interference are provided by the use of several guidance systems: semi-active laser, television, infrared. The Israeli Spike NLOS is capable of effectively fighting the armored vehicles of both the Korean People's Army and other countries more advanced in tank building.
According to sources, since 1998, South Korea has purchased weapons and military equipment in Israel for $ 1.5 billion. In addition to missile defense and radar systems, these are missile weapons and equipment for F-15K fighters: the Recce Lite tactical reconnaissance system, the Blue Shield container navigation system, air-to-air missiles, and aerial bombs.
For various reasons, the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan shies away from purchasing more American equipment. She intends to independently develop engineering and design ideas in the field of missile defense and missile attack warning.
Israel and the Republic of Kazakhstan have been cooperating since 2001 in the field of information security. Engineers from the two countries jointly create programs for secure access, data encryption and antivirus software. By 2014, the volume of investments in these works amounted to 34 million dollars, 25 out of 132 projects have already been implemented and brought 25 million in profits.
Obviously, Seoul will continue to cooperate with Israeli partners to improve the missile defense system. Including because, due to the compactness of the elements of the "Iron Dome", they can be installed on surface ships of the Navy and will ensure the protection of naval bases and ports in South Korea.
It should be noted that from the point of view of the national security of the Russian Federation, the supply of Israeli weapons and military equipment to India and Vietnam, especially to Korea, which throughout its history was part of the US sphere of influence, do not pose a threat. However, monitoring of the state of arms and military equipment markets in Asia is of fundamental importance for Russia.
