look news india
The Indian Army has taken a historic and strategic step towards countering armored threats along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and western borders. India has formally signed the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) to purchase the world’s most lethal and battle-tested anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system ‘Javelin’ (FGM-148 Javelin) from the US. The estimated cost of this deal, done under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program after the approval of the US State Department, has been fixed at approximately $ 45.7 million.
This defense agreement is not only limited to direct arms purchases, but it also opens the way for co-production of Javelin missiles within India in the future. Javelin missiles, which made headlines across the world by destroying modern Main Battle Tanks in the blink of an eye in the Russia-Ukraine war, will now become the main arrow in the quiver of the Indian Infantry and Special Forces.
According to the official statement released by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) and the Pentagon, this strategic deal includes a complete package of state-of-the-art missile rounds and ground support systems to meet the immediate needs of the Indian Army:
-
100+ FGM-148 Javelin Rounds: 100 operational missile rounds as well as additional missiles for fly-to-buy evaluation.
-
25 Lightweight Command Launch Units (LwCLU / Block 1 CLUs): It is a next generation modern launching system, which can accurately identify enemy armored vehicles hidden several kilometers away through thermal imaging both day and night.
-
Training and Simulation Tools: Basic Skills Trainers (BST), Missile Simulation Rounds and Battery Coolant Units (BCU) to make Indian soldiers proficient in missile operations.
-
Lifecycle Support and Spare Parts: Complete arrangement for long term maintenance of missile systems, spare parts, interactive electronic technical manuals and system integration testing.
Javelin missile is manufactured by ‘Javelin Joint Venture’ (JJV), a joint venture between American defense giant Lockheed Martin and RTX (Raytheon). Its technical characteristics make it many times superior to conventional anti-tank missiles:
-
Fire-and-Forget Technique: After firing the older generation wire-guided or laser-guided missiles, the operator had to stand in one place continuously until the missile reached the target, which posed a huge risk of enemy counterattack. In Javelin, the operator can take cover or change his position immediately after firing the missile by locking the cursor on the target. The missile’s state-of-the-art infrared seeker automatically follows the tank.
-
Top-Attack Ability: The weakest layer of any battle tank is its top armor, while its front and side parts are protected by heavy armor plates. After being launched, the Javelin missile rises up into the sky (arched profile) and falls directly on the weakest part of the tank at an angle of 90 degrees, due to which no advanced tank can escape.
-
Direct Attack Mode: It is used to destroy bunkers, buildings, parked helicopters and light armored vehicles by direct hit.
-
Soft-Launch Technology: The Javelin’s ejection motor ejects the missile from the tube without rapid fire or backblast, and the main rocket motor starts once it reaches a safe distance. Because of this, it can be fired without any danger even from closed rooms, bunkers or narrow places.
-
Single Man Portable: The entire system is light (approximately 15.9 kg to 22 kg total package) which can be easily carried by a single infantryman on his shoulder across high mountains and narrow valleys. Its effective range is approximately 2.5 to 4 kilometers.
Over the past few years, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed a large number of light tanks (Type 15 ‘Black Panther’ Tanks), Infantry Combat Vehicles and armored vehicles along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. It is extremely challenging to move heavy tanks rapidly in the high altitude areas of 14,000 to 18,000 feet in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
On such inaccessible peaks and narrow passes, the presence of a light and lethal shoulder-fired missile like Javelin provides a decisive strategic advantage to the infantry troops of the Indian Army. Javelin’s thermal sensor can easily detect the heat emanating from the engines of enemy tanks even in the sub-zero temperatures and fog of Ladakh. It is fully capable of stopping any sudden Chinese armored attack at the mouth of the valleys.
The current $45.7 million deal is being seen as an emergency acquisition to meet the immediate strategic needs of the Indian Army. However, even bigger talks are going on between India and America regarding domestic manufacturing of Javelin system.
A preliminary agreement has already been signed between India’s government defense PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and the American Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) for its production in India. If this co-production agreement is finalized, the Indian defense industry will not only gain exposure to modern missile technology, but the Indian Armed Forces’ future demand for thousands of missiles will be met by India’s own factories.
India’s plan to acquire Javelin missile has a history of one and a half decade. This purchase was first proposed in 2010, but the decision remained pending due to the terms of Transfer of Technology (ToT) and the options of Israel’s ‘Spike’ missile system and India’s indigenous ‘Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile’ (MPATGM) project.
Now the signing of this formal agreement shows that the defense partnership between India and America has reached a very mature and strategic level. After the Apache attack helicopter, Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft, C-17 Globemaster and M777 ultra-light howitzer, the induction of Javelin missile into the Indian Army will strengthen the offensive and defensive firepower of the Army manifold.