India will add US-made Javelin Missile System and Excalibur projectiles to its stockpile after the US State Department cleared a $92 million sale.
While the US Congress is yet to clear it, the deal has marked a big thaw in recently soured ties between New Delhi and Washington.
The Javelin Missile System is a US-made fire-and-forget medium-range anti-tank weapon. It would not need any external guidance or human intervention once launched. It also enables the operator to immediately relocate after firing.
Reuters reported that the Indian government had requested to buy up to 216 Excalibur tactical projectiles and 100 units of the Javelin system. US authorities said India already uses the Excalibur artillery ammunition in its M-777 Howitzer guns.
US-made Javelin Missile System
US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has said 'India will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.' It also said the weapons deal would help India meet 'current and future threats.'
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defense partner which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions," the DSCA said in a statement.
Sure, Javelin and Excalibur are not the most cutting edge weapons that the US could sell to India. And it's not a whopping price tag. But remember, the India-US defence deal comes at a time of strained diplomatic ties between the nations.
President Trump has imposed punitive tariffs on India over New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil. At the same time, Washington has struck several mineral and defence deals with Islamabad, including the sale of air-to-air missiles to Pakistan.
In this backdrop, the recent US-India deals gain significance. A day after India agreed to import 10% of its LPG requirements from the US, Washington has agreed to sell Javelin and Excalibur weapons to India.
