India Places Follow-On Order for Israeli Night Vision Equipment

Noga Light products(click to view full) India Defence reports that Israeli firm Star Night Technologies Limited’s subsidiary, New Noga Light, has won a 100 million shekel (NIS, currently about $25 million) tender to supply more night vision equipment to 2 mountain divisions of the Indian Army. Star Night had already received an 38 million shekel (NIS) order from India’s army in November 2006, and its total 2006 sales amounted to NIS 57 million. Israel’s business daily Globes added that the order will be supplied over a two-year period, the firm is currently negotiating with Indian authorities on a date for the start of deliveries. A Ha’aretz newspaper report, however, said that the Israeli company is to provide 35% of the contracted items by mid-2008. A toehold in this market may be significant over the longer term, if the right local partners can be found – those of watching US night-vision buys weren’t surprised when India Defence added: “Though almost all the front line units and those engaged in counter-insurgency have been equipped with night vision devices, according to Army estimates such equipment worth over USD 500 million was still needed to arm the remaining units.”