India buys Israeli missiles ahead of Netanyahu visit

NEW DELHI: India is to buy 131 surface-to-air missiles from Israel in a $70 million deal, the Defence Ministry announced Tuesday ahead of a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Barak missiles made by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems are to be used for India´s first aircraft carrier which is under construction.

Netanyahu will lead a business delegation to India on a four day trip expected in mid-January. Israel has become a major defence supplier to India, selling an average of $1 billion of military equipment each year. Last April the two countries signed a military deal worth nearly $2 billion which includes the supply over several years of medium-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers and communications technology.