Tel Aviv. “India is a strategic market for Rafael and we are proud that we are part of the process of building the Indian capabilities. That is why we will be full force in the upcoming Aero India,” Ariel Karo, EVP, marketing and business development, of Rafael told Raksha Anirveda.

He added that the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) considers Rafael a strategic partner “and we are proud of it.”

The Rafael senior official added that it is involved in every aspect of the Indian defence forces capabilities. “Our systems are operational in different parts of the Indian armed forces and we keep offering advanced technologies in air defence, air to air, ISR and all the related technologies.”

Karo said that while the Rafael Spike family of missiles is already integrated in India, he anticipates more contracts of these highly capable missiles that give ground and air forces an edge over the enemy.

The Rafael EVP said that the company is fully committed to the Make in India policy. “We have local cooperations and we build additional ones. He mentioned three existing joint ventures ARC, a joint venture between Rafael and India’s Astra Microwave Products; ASTRA, a joint venture between Astra Microwave Products and Rafael; and KRAS, a joint venture with KALYANI.

Rafael says that it demonstrated its ability to respond quickly and effectively to emerging needs, without making any quality compromises, as a result of its flexibility, its ability to make swift adjustments, and due to its vast experience in customer requirement analysis and tailor-made solutions.

The display at the exhibition will include all the main systems Rafael offers in air defence, air to air, super advanced communications systems and more.

-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist