India Procures Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile System

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Key takeaways

India signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance to procure American FGM-148 Javelin ATGMs via the Foreign Military Sales emergency route.
Manufactured by Javelin Joint Venture (Raytheon and Lockheed Martin), the weapon entered US service in 1996.
Its tandem HEAT warhead can penetrate 750-800 mm of armor after defeating Explosive Reactive Armour.
The system features soft-launch capability and an operational range extending from 2.5 km up to 4.75 km in newer variants.
Procurement will replace aging Milan-2T and Konkurs-M systems, boosting Indian firepower along the LAC and LoC.

India signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the United States to buy FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles.
The Indian military selected the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route using emergency procurement powers to speed up missile delivery.

The FGM-148 Javelin is an American shoulder-fired, man-portable third-generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile system.
Infantry troops use this precision weapon to destroy heavy main battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles, fortified bunkers, and low-flying helicopters.

The Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), formed by Raytheon (RTX) and Lockheed Martin, manufactures this advanced missile system.
Built originally for the United States Armed Forces, it entered service in 1996 and has proven its firepower in global combat operations.
The weapon gives light infantry units a lightweight point-and-shoot tool to defeat modern armor and bunkers without exposing soldiers to counterfire.

A passive Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker locks onto targets before launch, giving the weapon a true fire-and-forget capability so soldiers can quickly move to cover.
In top-attack mode, the missile climbs to 150 m altitude before striking the vulnerable top armor of a tank, while direct-attack mode hits bunkers, buildings, and helicopters.
The tandem-charge HEAT warhead fires a precursor charge to clear Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA), allowing the main charge to penetrate 750-800 mm of Rolled Homogeneous Armour.
Soft-launch technology ejects the missile out of the launch tube before the main rocket motor ignites, reducing backblast and letting soldiers fire safely from inside rooms or bunkers.
Soldiers aim using a reusable Command Launch Unit (CLU) with day and thermal sights, giving the missile a standard range of 2.5 km that reaches 4-4.75 km in newer variants.

Acquiring this system replaces older Milan-2T and Konkurs-M missiles with mobile fire-and-forget tech, strengthening anti-tank deterrence along the LAC, LoC, and desert sectors.
Purchasing through the FMS route deepens defense industry ties between India and the US while creating potential for technology transfer and joint production.