In a major defence deal, U.S. State Department has approved the sale of Javelin anti-tank missile system and Excalibur guided artillery munitions worth $93 million to India, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Wednesday.
The deal aims to boost India’s precision-strike capability, strengthen deterrence, and integrate seamlessly with existing force structures.
The Deal
The purchase of U.S. defence equipment is India’s first under Washington’s foreign military sales programme since ties soured in August after President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% as punishment for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
It follows a re-order this month of fighter jet engines made by General Electric to power more of India’s home-produced Tejas combat aircraft.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defense partner which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions,” the DSCA said in a statement.
The Indian government had requested to buy up to 216 Excalibur tactical projectiles and 100 units of the Javelin system, the DSCA said. India already uses the Excalibur artillery ammunition in its M-777 Howitzer guns.
The Economic Times reports that the package further encompasses various non-major defence equipment, including Portable Electric Fire Control Systems with Enhanced Platform Integration Kits, along with U.S. government technical assistance, technical data, repair-and-return services, and comprehensive logistics and program support.
The initial tranche includes 100 FGM-148 Javelin rounds, one Javelin FGM-148 missile (fly-to-buy), and twenty-five (25) Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LwCLU) or Javelin Block 1 Command Launch Units (CLU). This shipment is designed to fulfill urgent operational needs while the Army works on a longer-term co-production agreement.
Enhancing India’s Military Capabilities
The DSCA said the procurement will enhance India’s ability to meet current and future threats by providing precision-strike capability, increasing “first strike accuracy” within its brigades. The systems can be integrated into India’s existing force structure without difficulty.
The principal contractors for the sales will be RTX Corp for the Excalibur projectiles and its joint venture with Lockheed Martin for the Javelin systems, the DSCA said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
