Before this time next year, Israel is likely to be one of India’s top three arms suppliers.

New Delhi is putting the final touches on a package of bilateral military deals and projects planned with Israel totaling $3 billion.

Three of the deals are ready for a final vote by India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) ahead of the first state visit to Israel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year. “It should be cleared by the CCS within a month or so,” said an India Ministry of Defense source.

Among the contracts are the sale of 164 ‘Litening-4′ or laser-designation pods for IAF fighters like the Sukhoi30-MKIs and Jaguars, and 250 advanced ‘Spice’ precision stand-off bombs capable of taking out fortified enemy underground command centers.

The two countries are still negotiating over the cost for 321 ‘Spike’ anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems and 8,356 missiles, according to the Economic Times. The ATGMs have a strike range of more than 2.5 kilometers and fire-and-forget capability. The Indian Army wants to equip all its 382 infantry battalions and 44 mechanized infantry units with ‘Spike’ ATGMs. According to the report, the project would involve an initial off-the-shelf induction followed by large-scale indigenous manufacture by Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) to equip India’s 1.18-million strong military.

There is also a proposed initial order between DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for an MR-SAM regiment. The systems come with 16 firing units that feature multifunction surveillance and threat-tracking radars as well as weapon control systems. These too will be subsequently produced in bulk by BDL.

If the deals are signed, Israel will be confirmed as one of India’s top three arms suppliers, according to Defense Ministry sources.

Israel’s Elbit Systems Ltd. defense electronics firm announced Monday that it has been awarded a contract by the Directorate of Production and Procurement of the Israeli Ministry of Defense (“IMOD”), valued at approximately $70 million, for the supply of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems.

The systems, developed and manufactured by Elbit Systems EW and SIGINT – Elisra Ltd., is to be delivered over a five-year period, and will be installed on board all types of Israeli Air Force fighter jets.

Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems, said: “We are proud to provide the Israeli Air Force, recognized as one of the world’s most advanced air forces, advanced EW systems, covering the full range of fighter jets, and we trust that this win will further enhance our position as one of the world’s leading EW manufacturers.

“The modern global air combat arena is extremely challenging, and pilots are facing many new threats. Our systems provide a solution to a wide variety of current and future threats, and we hope that other customers will follow the IMOD and the Israeli Air Force and select our EW systems.”

The company also announced that it has won a new three-year $50 million contract with an Asia-Pacific nation. The firm will supply a “comprehensive airborne solution for use in intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions.”

Through its ISTAR division, Elbit said it will upgrade equipment already deployed in the field, including long-range electro-optical (EO) cameras and sensors. These are to be supplemented with Israel Aerospace Industries unit Elta Systems’ advanced SAR/GMTI Reconnaissance systems, the company said.

The upgraded system will be able to perform advanced functions such as mission planning, battlefield management, terrain analysis and simulation modeling both before and during intelligence-gathering operations.

“By combining multiple sensors, advanced C4I and intelligence analysis systems, all into one integrated solution, we enable customers to carry out more effective and flexible ISTAR operations,” said Machlis.

“There is a growing demand for this sort of solution, and we hope that this project, which marks a significant milestone for us, will lead to more orders from new and existing customers in the near future.”

Israel and Jordan have inked a deal for Jerusalem to supply the Hashemite Kingdom with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to combat Da’esh (ISIS).

The announcement is a sign of increased cooperation between the two countries in the face of a common enemy. Last month it became known that Israel supplied Jordan with 16 Bell AH-1E/F Cobras it had previously retired from service.

Images seen online on August 13 also showed Royal Jordanian Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons parked next to Israeli Air Force Boeing F-151 Eagle (Ra’am) fighters at Lajes Field in the Azores on their way to the United States for joint exercises, accompanied by a group of Israeli Air Force KC-707 fuel tankers.

The Heron TP strategic UAV produced by Israel Aerospace Industries and the Elbit Systems Skylark tactical UAV are reportedly needed to support Jordanian special ground forces as they do battle with Da’esh (ISIS) in Iraq, according to Jane’s. The terrorist group seized control over the sole crossing on Jordan’s common border with Iraq a year ago.

A total of 12 drones of both types are to be delivered to Jordan, the DEBKAfile website reported, although there has been no confirmation of the claim. Elbit denied the report, according to Jane’s.

The Heron TP is the largest and most sophisticated UAV in service since entering the IDF in 2010. The drone can fly to an altitude of 45,000 feet and stay there for up to 40 hours if necessary.

Recently the drone has been approved to carry the IAI (Tamam) M-19HD electro-optical sensor turret which includes zoom and spotter high-definition (HD) day cameras, an HD infrared (IR) zoom camera; laser designator; laser rangefinder; laser pointer, near-IR laser illuminator; electron-multiplied charge-coupled device (CCD) camera; and short-wave IR camera.

Israel’s global heavyweight in the defense industry, Israel Aerospace Industries, has made an important acquisition of its own: retired United States Air Force General Robert Foglesong is its new chief executive officer of IAI Ltd. North America. IAI North America is located in Arlington, Virginia.

Foglesong retired as a four-star general in 2006, after 33 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force. During his military tenure, Foglesong commanded U.S. air forces in Europe and was vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force.

After his retirement from the military, Foglesong was a president of Mississipi State University for two years.

The United States Navy announced that by no later than the end of fiscal 2017 it will acquire Gulfstream jets which have been modified to carry an airborne Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) X/S band radar. This radar detection system was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)/Elta Systems for airborne Aerieal Early Warning missions.

Israel Aerospace Industries is the largest aerospace & defense company and the largest industrial exporter in Israel. IAI is a global leader in the development and production of military and commercial aerospace and defense systems.

The IDF is testing out an Israeli-designed “Green Rock” radar system that can spot the source of mortar fire and allow potential victims to run for cover before they weapons hit their targets.

Israel lost four soldiers on Monday when a Hamas mortar shell slammed into a building near the Gaza border, claiming four more lives and injuring six others.

The Elta subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been working on the system for several years and sped up their deployment for the IDF since the beginning of the Protective Edge war against Hamas.

The operation Color Red early-warning system for Kassam rockets does not track mortar shells, which have a low trajectory. The Green Rock system’s identifying the source of fire not only gives people time to run for cover but also allowed soldiers to return fire and intercept the shell.

The system is mobile and can be used on four-wheel vehicles and armored personnel carriers (APC).

Another system under development to thwart mortar shell attacks is Rafael Advanced Defense System’s Iron Beam, which features a laser ray.

Globes reported that the IDF is using new drones that have provided valuable intelligence to the military during the war.

Israel has just received its newest defense against the Palestinian Authority’s attacks on the western Negev — or anywhere in the country, for that matter.

The new system arrived in IDF hands on Wednesday — the same morning the PA unity government launched another rocket attack from Gaza on southern Israel. The Qassam exploded at the entrance to a kibbutz, about 300 meters from a private home. No one was physically injured, but several people were shaken up.

With the ‘Green Rock’ mobile autonomous tactical counter Rocket, Artillery & Mortar (C-RAM) system, perhaps such attacks will be neutralized in the near future.

The system, to be known to the IDF as ‘Wind Shield,’ was produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)’s ELTA subsidiary. It is installed on a moving vehicle (read: armored car, truck, all-terrain vehicle or whatever have you), and off you go.

It includes a “phased-array doppler radar” which detects the originating launching point of ballistic munitions such as rockets, artillery and mortars, and tracks their trajectories. In addition, it can intercept the fire before it reaches the target. The system can also be used to detect low-flying airborne targets such as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), gliders and hovering platforms.

The system will be on display at the Eurostatory exhibition to be held June 16-20 in Paris.