India plans to buy the combat-proven American Javelin anti-tank missile systems, US Ambassador to New Delhi Sergio Gore said on Friday, quoted by "Reuters".
Washington has already prepared the possibility of the deal. In November 2025, the US State Department approved a potential sale of Javelin systems and related equipment to India for a total value of approximately $45.7 million.
According to the notification to the US Congress, the Indian government has requested 100 FGM-148 Javelin combat missiles, one additional missile, and 25 Lightweight Command and Launch Units (LwCLU), or the older Block 1 CLU launchers. The package also includes training aids, simulators, spare parts, technical documentation, and logistical support.
Javelin is a medium-range man-portable anti-tank missile system developed jointly by the US companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. Its primary purpose is to destroy tanks and other armored vehicles, but the system can also be used against fortified positions and other ground targets.
One of its greatest advantages is the "fire and forget" principle. Before launch, the infrared homing system locks onto the target, after which the missile tracks it independently. This means that the operator does not need to continue aiming the missile after launch and can immediately change position.
Javelin can attack armored vehicles in two main ways. In a direct attack, the missile flies towards the target along a relatively straight trajectory. The more typical mode is the attack from above - after launch, the missile rises and descends onto the upper part of the tank, where the armor is usually significantly thinner than the frontal one.
Modern versions of the system have an effective range of up to about 4 kilometers, and according to American documentation, the maximum range in some configurations exceeds 4.5 kilometers. The missile kit weighs about 20 kilograms and can be carried by infantrymen.
Another feature is the so-called soft launch. An initial charge ejects the missile from the launch tube, and the main rocket engine is activated only after it has moved away from the shooter. This reduces the dangerous jet stream and allows the Javelin to be used from closed positions, including from buildings and fortifications.
The system has been used in real combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Javelin gained particular fame after the start of the war in Ukraine, where it was used against Russian tanks and other armored vehicles.
The manufacturers indicate that even before the war in Ukraine, over 5,000 combat launches were carried out with Javelin in various conflicts.
Why can India buy weapons from both the US and Russia?
The potential purchase of Javelin is also indicative of India's specific defense policy. Unlike most major European buyers of American weapons, India is not a member of NATO and has no allied obligation to standardize its armaments with those of the United States.
For decades, New Delhi has pursued a policy of strategic autonomy and avoided permanent ties to a single military-political bloc. This allows the country to choose weapons systems from different manufacturers according to its own military, technological, financial and political interests.
Historically, Russia and before it the USSR have been among the main suppliers of weapons to India. The Indian armed forces continue to operate a large number of systems of Russian or Soviet origin, including Su-30MKI fighters, T-90 tanks, various missile complexes and the S-400 air defense systems.
At the same time, over the past two decades, New Delhi has significantly increased its purchases of American weapons and equipment. The United States has designated India as a "major defense partner" in 2016, and two years later the country received STA-1 status, which facilitates its access to a number of American military technologies.
However, this does not make India an American military ally and does not oblige it to buy only American weapons. Indian forces simultaneously use American, Russian, French, Israeli and domestically produced systems. For example, New Delhi bought French Rafale fighters, American P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and C-17 and C-130J transport aircraft, Russian S-400 air defense systems and Israeli Spike anti-tank missiles.
This freedom also has limits. The American CAATSA law allows Washington to impose sanctions on significant deals with the Russian defense sector. It was India's purchase of the S-400 from Russia that caused a long-standing dispute with Washington.
The United States also warns that the simultaneous use of sensitive American and Russian technologies could create problems with compatibility and protection of secret technologies.
However, Washington has for years recognized India's special situation and its long-standing dependence on Russian military equipment. American officials have acknowledged that this dependence cannot be ended immediately.
For New Delhi, diversification also has a purely strategic purpose - India does not want its armed forces to be critically dependent on a single supplier country, especially given the simultaneous tensions with China and Pakistan.
American manufacturers have already discussed the possibility of producing part of the Javelin in India. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin signed a memorandum with India's Bharat Dynamics Limited in 2020 to explore opportunities for joint production.
For India, such a model is particularly attractive, as New Delhi is increasingly linking large military orders with technology transfer, local production, and the gradual building of its own defense industry.