The Indian Army has signed a US Foreign Military Sales Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LoA) to procure nearly 100 FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missile systems worth $93 million.The move comes after approval was granted by the US State Department in November last year. The Indian Army will acquire nearly 100 Javelin missiles, one fly-to-buy round, 25 command-launch units, training aids, simulation rounds, spare parts and full lifecycle support, through the emergency procurement route.Treating it as “BIG news!” US ambassador Sergio Gor announced on Friday India plans to buy the battle-tested Javelin anti-tank system. “Just as @secwar (Secretary War 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,” he wrote on the X, adding that the engagement between our two nations is at “record high levels!.”The US embassy in a statement on Friday, too, said that the agreement opens discussions on “mutually beneficial co-production” of Javelin — manufactured by the Javelin Joint Venture, a partnership between RTX and Lockheed Martin — and additional opportunities to strengthen the defence industrial bases of both countries.DRDO weaponThe acquisition decision comes at a time when DRDO’s similar shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon, the man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM), is undergoing final user evaluation trials before mass production. The MPATGM is a 3rd-generation fire-and-forget missile.With the signing of the LOA, the US embassy stated that India has become a customer of the Javelin system, an advanced, medium-range, anti-tank guided missile used by the their army, US Marine Corps and numerous international customers. It’s designed for use against a wide array of targets, including armoured vehicles and fortified positions.The embassy said that the landmark signature further strengthens the US-India Major Defense Partnership by demonstrating the depth of ongoing US support to the Indian Army. This is one among a list of defence procurements the Trump administration has been advocating for long.According to a notification issued by the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in November 2025, India had also requested up to 216 M982A1 Excalibur tactical projectiles with an estimated cost of $47.1 million. The Excalibur is a GPS-guided, extended-range artillery round known for its high precision and minimal collateral damage. It was extensively used by the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor to target Pakistani installations.Published on August 28, 2026