India has finally signed the Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the US-made Javelin anti-tank guided missiles after a 16-year procurement struggle. The deal, routed through Foreign Military Sales, shifts focus to co-assembly and co-production with Bharat Dynamics Limited, while the indigenous MPATGM programme also matures. For exams, remember the chronology: 2010 Javelin attempt → 2014 pivot to Spike → 2017 cancellation → 2019 emergency Spike-LR → 2025 Javelin revival.
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- ›Deal Milestone: Letter of Offer and Acceptance signed August 28, 2026 (Friday) through US FMS route
- ›Procurement Timeline: 2010 initial attempt → 2026 finalisation (16 years)
- ›Target this Data: 16 years (2010–2026); over 8,000 Spike ATGMs cleared in 2014; $500 million Spike order cancelled in 2017; Rs 287.51 crore Kalyani Rafael order in August 2023.
- ›Target this Nodal Body: Ministry of Defence; DRDO; Bharat Dynamics Limited; Javelin Joint Venture (Lockheed Martin + Raytheon).
- ›Target this Legal Point: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route and Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) — not a direct commercial contract.
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