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India plans to procure the US-made Javelin anti-tank missile system, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Friday, in a development that could further strengthen defence cooperation between New Delhi and Washington.
"BIG news! India plans to buy the battle-tested Javelin anti-tank system," Gor said in a post on X. https://x.com/USAmbIndia/status/2093238732472369659?s=20 The Javelin is a portable anti-tank missile system jointly developed by Lockheed Martin and RTX for use against armoured targets. The system has been widely deployed by the US and allied forces. 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 Javelin was developed and produced for the US Army and Marine Corps by the Javelin Joint Venture, involving Lockheed Martin in Orlando, Florida, and Raytheon in Tucson, Arizona. Gor said the proposed procurement could also create opportunities for co-production between India and the United States, as defence cooperation between the two countries reaches "record high levels". The development comes amid India's expanding procurement of US defence equipment. In November 2025, the US State Department approved a potential USD 93 million sale to India covering up to 100 Javelin systems and 216 Excalibur guided artillery projectiles. India already operates Excalibur ammunition with its M777 howitzers. The United States and India have signed a framework for a major defence partnership 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. Gor also referred to remarks made by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the May 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue, saying the latest development would further strengthen US-India defence ties. (ANI)
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