Modi–Netanyahu Talks on Golden Horizon Missile Deal Deferred Amid Pricing and Technology Transfer Dispute

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unable to achieve progress on key defense matters during his visit to Israel, and the issue has been postponed until the upcoming visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to India.

According to sources in New Delhi, during his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Narendra Modi held important discussions regarding a deal for Israel’s Golden Horizon ballistic missile and attempted to convince Netanyahu on his own terms. Modi was particularly interested in finalizing this deal during his visit, while all related matters were being kept confidential.

Details suggest that Israel’s Golden Horizon is in fact the secret code name for the Blue Spear missile and its advanced version. Israel has not supplied this missile to any country so far. According to sources, India is the first country with which 80 percent of the agreement process has already been completed. However, certain obstacles remain in the agreement between India and Israel that could not be resolved during Modi’s visit.

According to Israel, the price of the missile is between $3 million and $5 million per missile. India’s position is that this amount does not represent only the missile’s cost, but also includes technology transfer, installation fees for integration with Sukhoi aircraft, and maintenance expenses. Israel, however, maintains that this figure represents only the price of the missile.

India does not want to limit the deal to merely purchasing the missile; rather, it seeks to make it part of the Make in India program. India is attempting to have the Israeli company Rafael and the Indian company Bharat Dynamics Limited jointly manufacture some components of the missile in India. In addition, India’s primary demand is the transfer of technology so that it can develop similar missiles independently in the future. While Israel is reportedly willing to consider joint production, it is reluctant to transfer key technologies, whereas India remains determined to obtain such technology at any cost.

The missile, equipped with GPS and optical guidance, is capable of striking targets within a few meters of accuracy and is said to have the ability to neutralize expensive defense systems such as the S-400, which significantly enhances its value. According to sources, India is also working on its own air-launched ballistic missile, but its development may take time. The purpose of acquiring the Israeli missile is to bridge this capability gap in the interim.

Initially, India intends to purchase a few dozen missiles directly to meet immediate and emergency requirements, while the long-term plan is to manufacture them domestically in India.