India signs Javelin anti-tank missile deal, opens path for local co-production

On August 28, the U.S. ambassador to India confirmed that the Indian Army signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for Javelin anti-tank missiles via the foreign military sales route, marking a new procurement after 16 years of intermittent attempts. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, through the Javelin Joint Venture, signed a memorandum of understanding with Tata Advanced Systems Limited to evaluate establishing a final-assembly and integration plant, as well as component-manufacturing capability, in India.

The notification from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency indicates a purchase of 100 missile rounds and 25 launch units at an estimated cost of $45.7 million. The agreement reflects expanding India-U.S. defence ties and the Indian Army’s effort to fill a critical anti-tank guided-missile gap, a need that has persisted since early-2000s attempts to replace older Soviet-era systems. While the deal is limited in size and proceeds through an emergency procurement route, it opens the door to broader co-production opportunities and highlights ongoing challenges in India’s broader modernisation programme.