India has formally handed the United States a Letter of Request (LoR) to begin co-producing the FGM-148 Javelin, marking the most decisive step yet in New Delhi’s long quest for a lightweight, third-generation man-portable anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). The move aligns with the “Make in India” programme, seeks to slash dependence on imports, and gives the Army a proven top-attack weapon for contingencies along both the Pakistan and China frontiers.

India’s Anti-Armour Gap

For more than a decade the Army has faced an acute shortfall—roughly 68,000 missiles and 850 launchers—in modern ATGMs, forcing it to rely on ageing Milan systems and limited emergency buys of Israel’s Spike missile. Indigenous solutions such as DRDO’s MPATGM are progressing but have yet to enter service at scale. The result is an urgent requirement for shoulder-fired, lightweight missiles that small infantry teams can haul across high-altitude terrain.

The LoR And The Co-Production Framework

Under the new request, India seeks U.S. Foreign Military Sales clearance plus industrial tie-ups that would allow local assembly, testing and eventual full-rate production. The Javelin Joint Venture (Raytheon RTX & Lockheed Martin) already renewed a memorandum of understanding with state-owned Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) in February 2025 to explore precisely this line.

Washington and New Delhi committed at the February U.S.–India Joint Statement to “pursue new procurements and co-production arrangements for ‘Javelin’ ATGMs in India” within the year. According to defence officials, negotiations are now “at an advanced stage,” with emergency off-the-shelf purchases likely to bridge the near-term gap while the factory line is stood up.

What India Gains

Operational Readiness: Co-production means guaranteed spares, faster replenishment during crises and freedom from shipment delays.

Technology Infusion: BDL and a consortium of private firms would gain access to manufacturing processes, composite structures and infra-red seeker technologies that are still niche in India.

Industrial Scale: Javelin orders worldwide exceed 55,000 missiles; satisfying domestic demand first could unlock export potential to Southeast Asian partners.

Javelin Capabilities In Brief

The Javelin weighs about 22 kg, fires from a reusable Command Launch Unit and engages armour at 2.5–4 km using a lock-on-before-launch, fire-and-forget IR seeker. Its tandem-charge warhead attacks from above, defeating explosive reactive armour; newer F-model rounds also add a multi-purpose fragmentation sleeve for buildings and soft targets. The system’s success in Iraq, Afghanistan and, most recently, Ukraine’s defence against Russian armour has reinforced its reputation and India’s interest.

Trials at Ladakh in late 2024 flagged “non-optimal” performance from an older Javelin batch, prompting India to request fresh demonstrations this year. Pricing, depth of technology transfer and intellectual-property protections also remain under negotiation. In parallel, policymakers must reconcile Javelin procurement with investments in the indigenous MPATGM so that one programme does not crowd out the other.

Co-production of Javelin missiles will anchor the wider U.S.–India Defence Industrial Roadmap, which already includes GE F-414 jet-engine manufacturing and potential Stryker infantry vehicle assembly. It cements India’s role as a Major Defence Partner and deepens deterrence against armoured thrusts in the Himalayas or the plains of Punjab.

Conclusion

The LoR for Javelin co-production is more than a single arms deal; it is a test case for India’s ambition to shift from buyer to builder of advanced weaponry. Success would simultaneously plug a critical battlefield gap, stimulate high-technology jobs, and add a new pillar to the rapidly widening defence partnership with the United States.

Based On The Hindu Report