Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on a visit to Israel

The visit is aimed at consolidating the existing robust bilateral military to military cooperation between India and Israel.

"During his visit to Israel, the Air Chief is scheduled to call on the Israeli Defence Minister Mr Moshe Ya’alon. He would also meet Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot, Chief of the General Staff, Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Major General Amir Eshel, Commander of Israeli Air Force and Mr. Ophir Shoham, Director of the Ministry of Defense (MOD), Directorate for Research and Development MAFAT. The meetings would essentially focus on a wide range of bilateral issues pertaining to the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries," read a government statement.

During his visit to the various operational air bases, Air Chief Marshal Raha would also visit the Israeli Air Force, Flight School, at Hatzerim air base.

He would also be updated on the progress of various defence projects being carried forward as joint ventures between the two countries.

The itinerary also includes a visit to `Yad Vashem', Israel's Memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 and a visit to the 'Memorial of Indian Soldiers' built in commemoration of sacrifice of the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during World War I in the liberation of Haifa.

In recent years, there have been several close and high level contacts at the political and military levels between the two countries. Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha’s visit to Israel would further boost bilateral relations between two Air Forces and is likely to provide greater convergence at the operational level.