July 20, 2007: India is negotiating a deal to have its 51 French built Mirage 2000 fighters refurbished. France recommends that the refurbed Mirages use the French built Damocles targeting pod. This equipment is used on other Mirage 2000s, as well as some Su-30s. But India has specified that the refurbed Mirages use the Lightning pod, which has quite a lot of combat experience, and is made by Indian ally Israel. Over the last decade, India has bought quite a lot of Israel military technology, and is quite happy with it. The two countries are now undertaking some joint development projects. France and Russia were, and still are, major suppliers of weapons to India. But Israel has been taking a lot of that business away, but providing better stuff, quicker, and sometimes cheaper.