New Delhi: The United States is upbeat about India’s decision to purchase the Javelin anti-tank guided missile system. Sergio Gor, the US Ambassador to India, has said that the system could be co-produced in India in the future.
“The United States welcomes the Indian Army’s signing of a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the purchase of the Javelin anti-tank guided missile system through the US Foreign Military Sales process. The milestone reflects the enduring partnership between the US and Indian Armed Forces. It opens the door for future collaboration between the US and Indian defence industries,” the US Embassy in India posted.
“This agreement reflects a defence partnership that is growing deeper, more capable, and more consequential,” Gor was quoted as saying by the embassy.
On X, Gor posted: “BIG news! India plans to buy the battle-tested Javelin anti-tank system. Just as @secwar highlighted at the May 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue, this is a great step forward in the US-India defence relationship and opens the door to co-production possibilities. The engagement between our two nations is at record-high levels!”
“The Javelin agreement demonstrates the depth of US support for the Indian Army and creates new opportunities for our defence industries to work together. We see tremendous potential for future cooperation that strengthens the defence industrial bases of both countries,” the embassy quoted the ambassador as saying.
With the signing of the LOA, India becomes a customer of the Javelin system, an advanced, medium-range, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile. The US Army, US Marine Corps and numerous international customers use the Javelin. It is designed for use against a wide array of targets, including armoured vehicles and fortified positions.
The Javelin is a man-portable anti-tank missile system jointly developed by Lockheed Martin and RTX for use against armoured targets. The US and allied forces have widely deployed the system.
The shoulder-fired system features an automatic guidance mechanism that allows the missile to track its target after launch, enabling the operator to take cover and avoid counterfire. Soldiers or Marines can also reposition after firing or reload to engage another threat.
The missile uses an arched top-attack trajectory, climbing above its target before striking areas where armour is weaker. The gunner selects the target using a cursor, after which the command launch unit sends a lock-on-before-launch signal to the missile. Its soft-launch design allows the system to be fired safely from enclosed structures, including buildings and bunkers.
“The landmark signature further strengthens the US-India Major Defence Partnership by demonstrating the depth of ongoing US support to the Indian Army. It also opens discussions on mutually beneficial co-production and additional opportunities to strengthen the defence industrial bases of both countries,” the US Embassy added.
(IANS)
