India and the United States have taken a significant step towards deeper defence-industrial cooperation with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) for the co-production of Javelin All-Up-Round (AUR) missiles in India.
The agreement, signed by TASL and the JJV, a partnership between Raytheon, an RTX business, and Lockheed Martin, is aimed at exploring the establishment of a final assembly and integration facility for Javelin missiles in India, along with capabilities for manufacturing components locally. Lockheed Martin confirmed the agreement, describing TASL as the prime Indian industrial partner selected for future in-country co-production efforts.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor welcomed the development and described the Javelin co-production MoU as a major step forward for the India-US defence partnership. The initiative is expected to create new opportunities for American and Indian defence industries while strengthening manufacturing capabilities and supply-chain resilience.
Under the proposed production model, key components would continue to be manufactured in the United States before being shipped to India for final assembly and integration. According to the details released by the Javelin Joint Venture, sub-assembly kits are planned to be produced at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Troy, Alabama, while guidance electronics units would be manufactured at Raytheon’s facility in Tucson, Arizona. These components would then support final assembly activities in India.
The planned Indian facility could give the country’s private defence sector a greater role in the production of advanced anti-tank weapon systems. The partnership is also expected to bring specialised assembly expertise and manufacturing knowledge into India’s defence ecosystem, supporting the country’s broader objective of strengthening domestic defence production.
The development comes shortly after India and the United States moved forward with the acquisition of Javelin anti-tank missile systems for the Indian Army. Reuters reported that the Indian Army finalised an agreement with the United States on August 28 for the acquisition of Javelin systems, although financial details of that agreement were not publicly disclosed.
The Javelin is a man-portable, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile designed to engage armoured targets. Its introduction into a wider India-US industrial framework could provide the Indian Armed Forces with access to an established weapon system while simultaneously creating opportunities for domestic manufacturing and industrial participation.
The Javelin Joint Venture has already produced more than 55,000 missiles and over 12,000 reusable Command Launch Units, underlining the scale of the existing production ecosystem behind the weapon system.
For India, the MoU is significant beyond the immediate production of the missile. Establishing final assembly and component manufacturing capabilities could strengthen India’s defence supply chain, expand the capabilities of the private defence sector and contribute to faster availability of the system for operational requirements.
The partnership also reflects the broader evolution of India-US defence ties from conventional equipment purchases towards greater industrial collaboration. With Tata Advanced Systems emerging as the Indian prime partner for the Javelin co-production effort, the agreement could become another important milestone in India’s drive to build a more capable and self-reliant defence manufacturing base.
As the proposed facility and production arrangements move forward, the Javelin programme could provide a new model for future India-US defence manufacturing partnerships, combining American technology and industrial expertise with India’s growing aerospace and defence production capabilities.