Indian Army to Procure 100 FGM-148 Javelin Anti-Tank Missiles Through US Foreign Military Sales Route

The Indian Army has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance with the United States to buy 100 FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile systems through the Foreign Military Sales route. The package is valued at about $93 million and includes launch units, training support and spares. It also opens the door for future co-production of the missile in India.

What Is the FGM-148 Javelin Anti-Tank Missile?

An Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) is a guided weapon designed to destroy tanks and other armoured vehicles. The FGM-148 Javelin is a man portable ATGM, which means one or two soldiers can carry and fire it from the shoulder. It is called a third generation system because it can guide itself to the target after launch.

The Javelin entered service with the United States Army and Marine Corps in 1996. It was first developed by Texas Instruments and Martin Marietta, which later became part of RTX Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation. Today it is built by the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a partnership between Raytheon, which is a business of RTX based in Tucson, Arizona, and Lockheed Martin based in Orlando, Florida. RTX Corporation, earlier known as Raytheon Technologies, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, while Lockheed Martin is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

The system has become one of the most widely used anti-tank weapons in the world. More than 55,000 missiles and more than 12,000 reusable Command Launch Units (CLUs) have been produced so far. It is in service with the United States and more than 30 other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Poland and Ukraine. Its extensive use by Ukrainian forces against Russian armour brought it global attention and proved its combat value.

How Does the Javelin Missile Work?

The Javelin is called a fire-and-forget system. Fire-and-forget means the soldier locks on to the target before firing, and the missile guides itself after that. The soldier does not need to keep aiming or guide it with a wire. This allows the soldier to take cover, move to a new position or reload immediately after firing.

The system has two main parts. The first is the disposable Launch Tube Assembly, which holds the missile. The second is the reusable Command Launch Unit (CLU), which acts as the sight. The gunner looks through the CLU, which has day vision and thermal imaging for night and poor weather. The CLU detects the heat signal of the target and sends a lock-on-before-launch signal to the missile. The missile then uses its onboard infrared seeker to track that heat signal on its own.

The Javelin can fly in two modes. In top-attack mode, it climbs to about 150 metres and then strikes the tank from above. The roof of a tank has the thinnest armour, so this mode is highly lethal against modern main battle tanks. In direct-attack mode, it flies straight at the target. This mode is used against bunkers, buildings, walls and low flying helicopters. The missile carries a tandem charge warhead, which has two small blasts in sequence. The first blast clears the add-on explosive reactive armour on the tank, and the second blast pierces the main armour.

It also uses a soft launch design. A small charge first pushes the missile out of the tube with low smoke and recoil. The main rocket motor starts only after the missile is a safe distance away. This allows soldiers to fire from inside rooms, bunkers and covered positions. The newer Lightweight CLU is about 30 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the older CLU, and it offers nearly double the detection range for surveillance.

What Does the Latest Deal Include?

The Indian Army signed the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) on 28 August 2026. An LOA is the government to government agreement signed under the Foreign Military Sales system. The signing was first announced by the United States Ambassador to India. The purchase is being processed under the Army emergency procurement powers, which allow Service Headquarters to make urgent purchases up to a ceiling of ₹300 crore without going through the full long procurement cycle.

The Javelin package follows the clearance given by the United States State Department in November 2025. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which is the United States body that implements foreign arms sales, notified the United States Congress about the possible sale at that time. The Javelin portion was estimated at $45.7 million. It covers 100 FGM-148 Javelin rounds, one fly-to-buy missile for testing, and 25 Lightweight CLUs or Block 1 CLUs. A fly-to-buy round is an extra missile used to prove performance before the full lot is accepted.

The package also includes Basic Skills Trainers, missile simulation rounds, battery coolant units, operator manuals, tool kits, training, spares, system integration, physical security inspection and lifecycle support. Technical help will come from the Security Assistance Management Directorate and the Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions Project Office of the United States Army. No additional United States personnel will be posted in India for this sale.

The headline figure of about $93 million reflects two linked approvals given together in November 2025. Along with the $45.7 million Javelin case, the United States also cleared 216 M982A1 Excalibur tactical projectiles for about $47.1 million. Excalibur is a GPS guided 155 mm artillery shell that can adjust its path in flight. It can hit within a few metres of the target at ranges of 40 km to 57 km, depending on the gun. It works with Indian guns such as the M777 ultra-light howitzer, K9 Vajra and Dhanush. The two cases together total about $92.8 million.

What Is the Foreign Military Sales Route?

The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme is a government to government method for buying American weapons. It is authorised by the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 of the United States. Under this law, the United States government can sell defence articles and services to friendly countries when it supports American security and peace. The United States Department of State decides which countries can buy and approves each sale. The Department of Defense, acting through the DSCA, implements the sale by placing orders with American companies on behalf of the buyer.

The process starts when India sends a Letter of Request. The American side then shares price and availability data or prepares a draft LOA. The LOA lists the exact items, price, delivery schedule, payment plan and terms of sale. Once both sides sign the LOA, the United States procures the items from its stocks or orders fresh production. The buyer pays the full cost plus administrative charges, so the sale remains cost neutral for the United States. Large sales also need notification to the United States Congress, and the equipment is subject to end-use monitoring to ensure it is used for its stated purpose.

FMS is different from Direct Commercial Sales, where a foreign government buys directly from an American company. FMS offers government backing, assured quality checks and lifecycle support, but it can be slower and less flexible on price. India has used both routes in the past. Since 2008, India has contracted for more than $24 billion worth of American origin equipment. Major purchases include the C-17 Globemaster heavy transport aircraft, the P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, Apache attack helicopters, Chinook heavy lift helicopters, M777 howitzers and weapon locating radars.

Why Does the Army Need Javelins Now?

The Army search for a modern third generation ATGM began in 2009. Indian soldiers first fired the Javelin during Exercise Yudh Abhyas with American troops at Babina in late 2009. In 2010, the Defence Ministry proposed to approach Washington through the FMS route for a third generation missile with transfer of technology. That proposal did not move forward.

In 2014, India selected the Israeli Spike missile over the Javelin for an order valued at about $500 million. That order was cancelled in 2017, revived after the visit of the Israeli Prime Minister in 2018 and then shelved again. The Army made a limited emergency purchase of Spike systems in 2019 to meet urgent needs. In August 2023, the Ministry placed an order worth ₹287 crore with Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems, a joint venture between Bharat Forge and Rafael of Israel, which builds Spike variants in Hyderabad.

The gap remains large. The Army has reported a shortfall of about 68,000 anti-tank missiles and 850 launchers. Its older systems, the French origin MILAN and the Russian origin 9M113 Konkurs, are second generation wire guided missiles. Wire guided means the operator must keep sight of the target until impact, which exposes the soldier to return fire. A fire-and-forget system like Javelin reduces this risk and is better suited for mountain warfare along the Line of Actual Control, where infantry units face enemy armour in narrow valleys and high altitude posts.

At the same time, the indigenous programme has made steady progress. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), established in 1958 and headquartered in New Delhi, entrusted the work to its Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad. The Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) project was sanctioned in 2015 at a cost of ₹73.46 crore. It is a third generation, fire-and-forget missile with a miniaturised infrared imaging seeker and top-attack ability. On 11 January 2026, DRDO tested it in top-attack mode against a moving target at the KK Ranges in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra. Production partners are Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited. The MPATGM belongs to the wider Nag missile family, which also includes the vehicle mounted Nag on the NAMICA carrier, the helicopter launched HELINA and the long range SANT missile.

Javelin, Spike and MPATGM: How Do They Compare?

India now operates or tests three third generation portable systems. The Javelin is American, the Spike is Israeli and the MPATGM is Indian. All three use fire-and-forget guidance and top-attack profiles, but they differ in weight, range and production base.

Other systems often compared with Javelin include the Swedish origin NLAW, the American TOW wire guided missile and the Russian Kornet. NLAW is lighter and cheaper but has a shorter range of about 1 km. TOW has a longer range but needs continuous guidance and a vehicle or tripod mount. Kornet uses laser guidance and is powerful, but the operator must keep the laser on the target. Javelin costs more than these options because of its advanced seeker, CLU optics and fire-and-forget electronics.

Co-Production Plan With Tata Advanced Systems

The LOA is not only a purchase. It also creates a framework for possible co-production in India. On 30 August 2026, Tata Advanced Systems Limited signed a memorandum of understanding with the Javelin Joint Venture for co-production of the Javelin All Up Round in India. All Up Round means the complete missile in its launch tube, ready for issue.

Under the understanding, Tata Advanced Systems was selected as the prime partner after an assessment of several Indian firms. The two sides will study a final assembly and integration facility in India along with local component production. This would give Indian industry assembly knowledge and improve the supply of ready stocks for the armed forces. The venture has said the effort will support production growth and strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The idea of building Javelin in India is not new. Washington made a joint production offer in 2019, which lapsed without agreement. In February 2025, India and the United States announced fresh plans to explore co-production. The current agreement takes that intent a step further by naming an Indian partner and defining the product. If it moves to a full contract, India would join a small group of countries with Javelin assembly work, while the core seeker and guidance technology would remain under United States controls and end-use checks.

The Way Forward

Deliveries under the emergency route are expected to be completed in a short time frame, followed by training with simulators and Basic Skills Trainers. Frontline infantry units will be the first users, with special focus on high altitude and border areas where portable anti-armour power is most needed.

The larger test will be the co-production talks. Key issues include the level of technology sharing, the share of local content, pricing for future orders and integration with Indian quality systems. Progress here will decide whether the deal remains a one-time gap filler or becomes a long term industrial partnership.

In parallel, the Army will watch the final user trials and induction of the indigenous MPATGM. If MPATGM enters mass production as planned, India will have a two track approach. Imported Javelins will meet the immediate gap, while Indian made MPATGM meets the bulk long term need of up to 40,000 rounds over the coming years. This balance between urgent imports and domestic manufacturing will shape infantry firepower for the next decade.

Key Takeaways

• The Indian Army signed the Letter of Offer and Acceptance on 28 August 2026 to buy 100 FGM-148 Javelin systems through the Foreign Military Sales route.
• The Javelin package includes 100 rounds, one fly-to-buy missile and 25 Lightweight CLUs, and was cleared at about $45.7 million in November 2025.
• The combined United States clearance of about $93 million also covers 216 M982A1 Excalibur guided shells worth $47.1 million.
• The Javelin Joint Venture between RTX Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation has built more than 55,000 missiles since the system entered service in 1996.
• Tata Advanced Systems Limited signed a memorandum of understanding on 30 August 2026 with the venture for co-production of the Javelin All Up Round in India.
• The indigenous MPATGM developed by DRDO proved top-attack ability against a moving target on 11 January 2026 at the KK Ranges in Maharashtra.