Indian Air chief visits Israel

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IBNS) Towards consolidating the already robust bilateral military to military ties between India and Israel, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee(COSC) is on a four day goodwill visit to Israel.

During the visit, he is scheduled to call on the Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak.

He would also meet Lieutenant General Benjamin Gantz, Chief of the General Staff, Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Major General Amir Eshel, Commander of the Israeli Air Force and Rear Admiral Ophir Shoham, Director of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) Directorate for Research and Development (MAFAT) at HaKirya, in Tel Aviv, to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues on the ongoing defence cooperation between India and Israel.

The Air Chief would also visit the Israeli Air Force, Flight School, located at Hatzerim air base and the other operational bases towards overseeing the progress of various projects being carried forward as joint ventures between the two countries, he would also meet and interact with the IAF officers and DRDO officials who form a part of the MRSAM Team.

Accompanied by Major General Amir Eshel, the Air Chief would be visiting 'Yad Vashem', Israel's Memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust established in 1953 and 'Memorial of Indian Soldiers' in Jerusalem, Indian War Cemetery, in commemoration of sacrifice of Indian Fallen soldiers who helped liberate Haifa in 1918, in World War I, to pay their tributes.

The Indian Army commemorates Sept 23rd every year as Haifa Day to pay its respects to the two brave Indian Cavalry Regiments that helped liberate the city in 1918 following a dashing cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.

The visit of Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne to Israel, as the Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, comes after 12 years of him being posted as the Defence Attache at Tel Aviv for a three year tenure. He was responsible for establishing the Indian Defence Wing in Tel Aviv, in Apr 1997.