Washington: The Indian Army has signed an agreement with the United States to purchase Javelin anti tank missile systems and Excalibur guided artillery munitions, the US Embassy in India and the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) confirmed on Wednesday. The total value of the approved sale under Washington's Foreign Military Sales programme is estimated at USD 93 million.
According to statements released by the DSCA, the Indian government requested to acquire 100 units of the Javelin anti tank guided missile system alongside up to 216 Excalibur tactical artillery projectiles. The Javelin system, jointly produced by defenCe contractors Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation, is a shoulder fired, medium range guided missile designed to engage armoured vehicles and fortified positions. The Excalibur munitions, manufactured by RTX, are precision guided artillery shells already utiliSed by the Indian Army in its M 777 ultra lightweight howitzers.
The agreement marks the first major defenCe purchase by New Delhi under the US Foreign Military Sales framework since bilateral trade relations cooled in August, following Washington's decision to increase tariffs on Indian imports over New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian crude oil. Despite commercial trade friction, bilateral defenCe engagement has sustained momentum, following a recent re order of General Electric fighter jet engines for India's indigenous Tejas combat aircraft platform.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor noted that the agreement creates new avenues for industrial partnership between the two nations, emphasising the potential for future cooperation to strengthen both national defence industrial bases. The DSCA added that the proposed sale supports US foreign policy and national security objectives by enhancing the defence capabilities of a key partner in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India currently ranks as the world's fifth largest military spender and the second largest importer of arms globally. The latest acquisition falls under the broader ten-year defence framework agreement signed between New Delhi and Washington in October.
