The US has approved a $93 million defence package for India, clearing Javelin anti-tank missiles, launch units, and 216 Excalibur precision artillery rounds.
The Javelin deal is valued at $45.7 million, while the Excalibur package is worth $47.1 million.
Notably, Washington has cleared the weapons sale to India at a time when the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump have led to a strained relationship between the two democracies.
The two countries are negotiating a bilateral trade agreement to boost two-way commerce. The Indian team is in Washington for the trade talks.
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of Javelin anti-tank missile systems and Excalibur guided artillery munitions worth $93 million to India, the U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Wednesday.
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.-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 deal is noteworthy since it is New Delhi’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%.
The Government of India wishes to buy up to 216 M982A1 Excalibur tactical projectiles, DSCA said. Non-MDE (Major Defence Equipment) items that will also be included in the sale are ancillary items; Portable Electronic Fire Control Systems (PEFCS) with Improved Platform Integration Kit (iPIK); primers; propellant charges; US Government technical assistance; technical data; repair and return services; and other related elements of logistics and programme support, it added.
On the sale of Excalibur projectiles, the agency said: "The proposed sale will improve India's capability to meet current and future threats by providing precision capability equipment, which will increase first strike accuracy in its brigades."
The Indian Government has requested to buy 100 FGM-148 Javelin rounds; one Javelin FGM-148 missile, fly-to-buy; and 25 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LwCLU) or Javelin Block 1 Command Launch Units (CLU), it said.
The US also listed a range of non-MDE items including missile simulation rounds; battery coolant unit; interactive electronic technical manual; and Javelin operator manuals apart from refurbishment services and other related elements of logistics and programme support.
The deal 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.
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