Chandigarh, Nov. 13 -- From covert military cooperation in 1962 to joint technology development and domestic defence manufacturing, India-Israel ties have evolved over the years, with the 1999 Kargil War proving a defining moment, former army chief Gen VP Malik (retd) said on Thursday.

Speaking at an international conference titled, 'Combat power and capability building partnership dialogue', organised as part of the India-Israel Defence Cooperation Dialogue at the CII headquarters in Chandigarh, Malik described Israel as one of India's most reliable defence partners.

"Our military-to-military relationship started covertly in 1962. Even back then, we imported mortar ammunition and other items from Israel," he said. The cooperation becam...