India and Israel, two non—Christian nations, gave each other a big 'Christmas present' on December 25^th, signing a statement on co—operation in science and technology.* This extends the fast—growing strategic, military, scientific, economic, and diplomatic relationship into the crucial field of space technology.

The American Thinker has been closely following this vital realignment since we began publishing two weeks ago. Even though the mainstream press virtually ignores the story, the Thinker will continue to bring you news and analysis, because it is changing the calculus of world power. India already deserves to be considered a major power, and it has shifted decisively from its former alignment with the socialist bloc towards capitalism and diplomatic alignment with fellow democracies, allied in the war against militant Islam.

India and Israel already cooperate on nine ongoing projects, and are currently working to extend cooperation into new areas, especially genome research. The successes experienced to date lend great promise to these future ventures in scientifically and economically significant fields.

The new space collaboration involves the Tauvex project, a set of three wide—field telescopes that will image the ultraviolet (UV) sky on an Indian satellite, the GSAT—4. Previously, Israel had been part of an international group, which had intended to use a Russian satellite to house the Tauvex telescopes. However, that group fell apart, and Israel and India began exploring a bi—national project.

For obvious reasons, Israel has chosen to maintain an independent satellite launching capability. What makes the new pact with India so significant is that Israel will be using an Indian vehicle to launch the satellite. The new project, using UV telescopes, will be able to gather data which is not accessible to the Hubble project or any other research apparatus. In other words, the Indo—Israeli project will be at the very forefront of scientific research in its area. Out of an overall budget of $20 million, Israel is spending $4 million to adapt Tauvex to Indian technologies.

Both sides are downplaying the defense or military implications of the project. They would be crazy not to, given the obvious sensitivities involved. But there is an undeniable potential for both countries to benefit strategically from joint work on imaging satellites, even if the current instance is purely scientific in nature.

As the Thinker has been maintaining, the emerging alliance between India and Israel is an absolutely natural fit for both countries, and is likely to become one of the important facts of the new shape of world power as the new century develops. Stay tuned right here.

Posted by Thomas 12 26 03

* The URL of the article from the Financial Express of India has changed. Please click here.