Amid a strain in India-US ties following Operation Sindoor, India has decided to purchase Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) from the United States.
The Indian Army has signed an offer to buy 148 anti-tank guided missiles from the US. The deal is worth $45.7 million, or around Rs 4,400 crore.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the deal was “big news” while sharing details of the agreement.
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“BIG news! India plans to buy the battle-tested Javelin anti-tank system. Just as US Secretary of State Pete Hegseth 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,” Gor said in a post on X.
The missile system is already in service with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, as well as several international customers, the embassy added.
“The agreement creates new opportunities for the defence industries of both countries to work together. We see tremendous potential for future cooperation that strengthens the defence industrial bases of both countries,” Gor added.
About Javelin
The Javelin is an advanced, medium-range, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile jointly manufactured by US companies RTX and Lockheed Martin. The missile is used by several militaries, including the US Army and US Marine Corps.
Javelin missiles are designed to destroy enemy tanks and bunkers and have a range of around 2.5 kilometres.
Under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, India has decided to procure 148 Javelin rounds, along with one Javelin FGM-148 missile, 25 Lightweight Command Launch Units and associated equipment.
US-India Defence Ties
The development comes as India continues to expand its procurement of US defence equipment. In November 2025, the US State Department approved a potential $93 million sale to India covering up to 100 Javelin systems and 216 Excalibur guided artillery projectiles.
India is the world’s fifth-largest military spender and the second-largest arms importer after Ukraine, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. It already operates Excalibur ammunition with its M777 howitzers.
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The US and India signed a framework for a major defence partnership in October last year, aimed at strengthening interoperability across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace.
India has also acquired several US-made defence platforms, including Apache and Chinook helicopters, C-17 and C-130J transport aircraft, P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and M777 howitzers.
