How Israel's timely help during the Kargil war helped India hammer Pakistan

Long after the Liberation of Bangladesh War of 1971, came the 1999 Kargil conflict 1999, after a couple of decades of pause. This was the 1990s, a time when insurgency had emerged in Kashmir and later escalated into terrorism.

Although there were a few clashes with Pakistan in those two decades, 1999 witnessed the Kargil conflict as an important incident in the region's history.

A bit of background

• The Kargil conflict saw India and Pakistan against each other in a high-stakes battle in the Kargil-Dras sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
• In the spring of 1999, Indian soldiers returning to their posts found the Pakistani soldiers and mercenaries comfortably placed at higher altitudes, overlooking National Highway-1 that connects Srinagar and Leh.

• Simultaneously, India, grappling with sanctions after the Pokhran Nuclear Tests in 1998, found itself reacting to the Pakistan Army's misadventure led by General Parvez Musharraf, while Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was kept in the dark.

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This is when the Indian response to the Pakistani intrusions saw help from an unexpected source: Israel.

How?

• Despite having no formal diplomatic ties at the time, India and Israel collaborated effectively during the Kargil conflict.
• This cooperation was instrumental in addressing India's unpreparedness, a result of it being at a disadvantage point.
• The conflict, which lasted from May to July 1999, showed a dire need for improvements in intelligence gathering, mountain warfare capabilities, and precision bombing.
• With the loopholes to be taken care of at a later date,

Israel came to timely support.

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• Israel, by the 90s, was known for its capabilities in border control, counter-terrorism, and limited warfare. It stepped in to assist India.
• The Israeli Litening laser designator pod, a crucial piece of technology, was integrated into Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 fighters, tasked with providing air support to the Army troops on the ground who were trying to scale the high Himalayan peaks, without crossing the LoC.
• The Litening pod, when activated, emits an invisible laser beam that guides laser-guided bombs to their intended targets.

• On June 24, 1999, in a watershed moment, a Mirage 2000 jet manned by Wing Commander Raghunath Nambiar fired a laser from the Litening pod onto Pakistani Army structures atop Tiger Hill, marking the first successful use of a laser-guided munition by the Indian Air Force in combat.
• The Wing Commander went on to fire 5 of the laser-guided missiles at Pakistani targets during the conflict.

Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar later said, "Our joy knew no bounds as the entire video image of the target burst out into a soundless explosion."

India's intent was clear too.

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The bridges gapped

• The operation, known as Operation Safed Sagar was also IAF's first such operation on such high altitude, as neither the jets nor the missiles would act as they would on the ground level, as opposed to almost 16,000 feet (Tiger Hill elevation).
• The integration of the Litening pod, paired with 1,000-pound laser-guided bombs, was a complex process, in which the IAF then lacked expertise.
• Indian Air Force fighters, including MiG-27s and MiG-21s, initially struggled to hit their targets with precision due to the lack of effective guidance systems.
• The Litening pod helped rectify this issue by providing accurate target locations to hit for the Mirage 2000s.
• Additionally, the Mirage 2000's software needed modification, and the Paveway laser-guided bomb kit was incomplete due to US sanctions.
• However, Israeli experts worked closely with the Indian Air Force's Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) to resolve these issues to expedite the integration process.

Israel's help went beyond the Kargil conflict and is evident to this day with advanced surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, particularly UAVs (drones), like the Searcher and Herons being used along the LoC.

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The Kargil conflict also became a turning point in India's defence strategy with the addressing of critical deficiencies in intelligence, military capabilities, and equipment, prompting the Indian government to seek further Israeli assistance.

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