US okays sale of anti-tank system, artillery munitions to India

NEW DELHI: The US State Department has greenlighted the sale of Javelin anti-tank missile system and Excalibur guided artillery munitions worth $93 million to India, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Wednesday.

The purchase of US defence equipment is India's first under Washington's foreign military sales programme since ties soured in August after President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% as punishment for New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil.

It follows a re-order this month of fighter jet engines made by General Electric to power more of India's home-produced Tejas combat aircraft.

"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 defence 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.

The Indian government had requested to buy up to 216 Excalibur tactical projectiles and 100 units of the Javelin system, the DSCA said. India already uses the Excalibur artillery ammunition in its M-777 Howitzer guns.

The principal contractors for the sales will be RTX Corp for the Excalibur projectiles and its joint venture with Lockheed Martin for the Javelin systems, the DSCA said.