India to buy US’ Javelin anti-tank missiles. This is what makes it lethal

US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, said ‘this agreement reflects a defense partnership growing deeper, more capable, and more consequential’. “… demonstrates  depth of US support and creates new opportunities for our defense industries to work together.”

In May Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US had committed to pursuing ‘co-production’ of Javelin munitions with India; ‘real, tangible steps to improve the collective readiness of our forces’, he said.

He also said such co-production – with a sophisticated frontline weapon system – deepens the bilateral defence relationship.

Earlier in the day, Gor had confirmed India is on the verge of signing the deal.

In a post on X, he declared the purchase ‘a great step forward’ in the US-India defence relationship, and said it opened the door to co-production possibilities. He also declared that the engagement between the two nations had now reached ‘record high’ levels.

BIG news! India plans to buy the battle-tested Javelin anti-tank system. Just as @secwar highlighted at the May 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue, this is a great step forward in the U.S.-India defense relationship and opens the door to co-production possibilities. The engagement between…

— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) August 28, 2026

Buying the Javelin system has been on India’s radar for the past few years.

In November the US approved a possible Foreign Military Sale consisting of 100 FGM-148 Javelin rounds, one Javelin FGM-148 missile, fly-to-buy; and 25 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LwCLU), or Javelin Block 1 Command Launch Units (CLU), and related equipment at an estimated cost of $45.7 million.

What is the Javelin

Produced by the Javelin Joint Venture – a partnership between RTX and Lockheed Martin, it is a single, man-portable, fire-and-forget, medium-range anti-tank weapon.

In military terms, ‘fire-and-forget guidance’ means soldiers don’t have to remain exposed after the missile is launched, and ‘man-portable’ means it can be carried by soldiers.

That combination makes it particularly lethal.

The Javelin is designed for use against a wide array of targets, including armoured vehicles and fortified positions, and is used by the US Army and the Marines. It also has numerous international customers – including Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.

The India-US defence partnership

Over the past few years India has become a significant market for the US in terms of military procurements.

The Javelin systems are part of a broader range of purchases – including 216 M982A1 Excalibur tactical projectiles – made or initiated in this time. India is also planning to buy six more Boeing P-8I maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.

Earlier this year, the US approved the possible sale of support services and equipment for Apache helicopters at an estimated cost of $198.2 million.

Last year, India signed LoAs for support for its fleet of MH60R helicopters for a period of five years. That deal was worth Rs 7,995 crore. And in October 2024 a deal was inked for 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drone, with deals for MH-60R Seahawk multi-role helicopters, Apache and Chinook helicopters, Sig Sauer rifles, and M777 ultra-light howitzers on the cards.

Amid all of this, in October last year, India and the US signed the ‘framework for the US-India major defence partnership’, signalling stable ties in the defence sector.