The Indian Army has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) to acquire the Javelin anti-tank guided missile system from the United States through the Foreign Military Sales mechanism. The agreement represents a significant step toward India becoming an official Javelin customer, while New Delhi and Washington continue discussions aimed at establishing eventual joint production of the weapon in India.The LOA comes after the US State Department approved India’s request in November for Javelin systems. The approved package included 100 Javelin missiles and 25 lightweight Command Launch Units, with an estimated value of $45.7 million. It also included one FGM-148 Javelin missile for fly-to-buy evaluation.The wider package provides several supporting elements, including training equipment, missile simulation rounds, a battery coolant unit, technical documentation, spare components, lifecycle support, systems integration and testing. These provisions are intended to support the effective induction and long-term operation of the weapon system.However, Indian news agency Asian News International, citing sources, reported that the Indian Army’s immediate procurement is valued at approximately ₹2.92 billion ($30.5 million) and covers 60 Javelin rounds. Deliveries are reportedly expected to commence by the end of 2026 or during 2027.The acquisition is being pursued under the Army’s emergency procurement authority. This mechanism permits purchases of individual items valued at up to ₹3 billion ($31.4 million), enabling the service to accelerate the acquisition of urgently required military equipment.The Javelin is a portable anti-armour weapon designed for use by dismounted troops. It provides a fire-and-forget capability against armoured targets at ranges from approximately 65 metres to 4 kilometres. The missile uses a top-attack flight profile, rising above the target before descending onto its upper armour, which is generally less protected.Its soft-launch technology allows the missile to be fired from enclosed environments such as buildings and bunkers. The system’s Command Launch Unit assists the operator in detecting and identifying targets, including under poor visibility conditions. It can be used against armoured vehicles as well as fortified positions.Developed by the Lockheed Martin and RTX Javelin Joint Venture, the system weighs approximately 15.9 kilograms and can be operated by a single soldier. According to RTX, Javelin technology can also support remote launch from an uncrewed ground vehicle.The weapon gained considerable international attention during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where Ukrainian forces used Javelin missiles against Russian armoured vehicles. The system is also operated by the US military and more than two dozen international users.
