WEB DESK: The U.S. State Department has authorized the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Excalibur precision-guided artillery munitions to India, with the deal valued at $93 million.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) revealed that India has requested up to 216 Excalibur tactical projectiles and 100 Javelin missile units. Notably, India is already equipped with Excalibur rounds for its M-777 Howitzer artillery systems.
RTX Corp will serve as the primary contractor for the Excalibur munitions, while its collaboration with Lockheed Martin will handle the Javelin missile systems.
The DSCA emphasized that the sale aligns with U.S. foreign policy and national security goals by bolstering the strategic relationship with India. Additionally, it aims to reinforce the security of a key defense ally and foster stability, peace, and economic development in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.
This agreement represents India’s first procurement through Washington’s foreign military sales program since August, when trade tensions surged after former President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Indian exports to 50%, citing New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.
India recently expanded its defense transactions with the United States by ordering fighter jet engines from General Electric for its domestically-built Tejas combat aircraft. These developments suggest ongoing normalization and an uptick in U.S.-India defense collaboration.
