NEW DELHI, June 9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Parts of the Indian spy plane downed by Pakistan Friday, June 7, were made in Israel, Indian and Pakistani newspapers reported Sunday.

The transmitter assembly of the plane had “Israel Aircraft Industry" (IAI) printed on it, Pakistani newspaper, News International reported.

The unmanned spy plane crashed some 100 meters away from the residential area; otherwise there would have been casualties, Pakistani military officials said, according to the Pakistani paper .

India obtained such planes from Israel two years ago and used them for spying purpose. India has two types of drones: the local-made and Israeli-made, but didn't use the locally-made planes in spying missions, said the News.

Indian newspaper, the Telegraph, said the plane was an Israeli-manufactured Searcher Mark II.

The Pakistan foreign ministry summoned an Indian diplomat to convey its “deep concern and strong protest on the deliberate violation of airspace”.

Outgoing foreign minister Abdul Sattar struck a note of restraint, saying “in a situation like this”, responsible states must be careful not to provoke an escalation in tension.

Indian military experts say the increasing use of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) is not surprising. UAVs are considered low-value assets and the cost of one crashing is less than the loss of a reconnaissance plane and its trained pilot. UAVs are fitted with sensors to either take photographic images or to detect enemy radio signals.

Pakistan has about seven different types of UAVs, mostly of Chinese make. India relies mainly on the Israeli-made Searcher, reported the Telegraph. It has also been test-flying the indigenously-built Nishant in actual conditions. But the Nishant cannot fly as high as the Searcher, it added.

Indian defense sources said that in recent months, India has also bought a “substantial number” of UAVs.

India and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1992 and have a warming relationship, to the dismay of many Arab and Islamic countries.

Both India and Israel have denied media reports that Israeli experts are helping India combat a 12-year-old Islamic insurgency in Kashmir, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

In July 2001, Israel's Haaretz daily newspaper reported that the Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) signed an estimated two-billion-dollar weapons contract with India's defense ministry.

Under the terms of the agreement, the IAI, which works in cooperation with Israel's defense ministry, will deliver aircraft, radar systems and surface-to-surface missiles, via India's largest defense contractor, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), the paper said.

The agreement, signed between IAI officials and the Indian defense ministry, would guarantee an Israeli supply of sophisticated radar systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and an upgrading of Indian aircraft with avionics systems, the Indian spokesman said. IAI, which specializes in high tech weaponry, will transfer Israeli technology to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

The sale of three Phalcon early warning aircraft systems is also understood to be the part of the upcoming cooperation between India and Israel, and sources say that Israel has shown keen interest in a pilotless target aircraft, the Lakshya, made by India.

According to the Indian Daily Newspaper, The Times of India, the $2 billion contract is to boost cooperation in weapon systems and technology, an Israeli defense spokesman said Tuesday.

In September 2001, India's Hindu newspaper said New Delhi was working to integrate its surface-to-air Akash missile and the Israeli Arrow-2 system to build a comprehensive shield against attack by ballistic missiles and planes.

This growing defense cooperation between India and Israel worries most Pakistanis who consider it an attempt to crush the freedom movement in occupied Kashmir.

The 2 billion dollars deal sent alarming signals to the Pakistani armed forces as regards the country’s security.