NEW DELHI: India is now set to ink another two arms deals with the US for Excalibur precision strike artillery munitions and man-portable Javelin anti-tank missiles worth $93 million (Rs 826 crore), even as the two countries try to work out a trade deal that would address the hefty 50% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods.The two new deals come soon after India earlier this month signed the over $1 billion (Rs 8,900 crore) contract with US major General Electric for another 113 GE-F404 engines to power the indigenous Tejas Mark-1A fighters.
However, another major deal for India to acquire six more advanced P-8I long-range maritime patrol and submarine-hunting aircraft – Navy already has 12 such planes bought for over $3.2 billion – is still stuck in negotiations due to the high price being demanded by the US.Approving the two FMS (foreign military sale) cases “requested” by India on Wednesday, the Trump administration notified the US Congress and said the proposed deals will support the US foreign policy and national security objectives by strengthening the bilateral strategic relationship. India, a major defence partner, continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions, it said.The first is for 216 Excalibur tactical projectiles, along with associated equipment, for $47.1 million. The Army had deployed M-777 ultra-light howitzers, imported from the US, to fire Excalibur `smart’ extended range artillery shells to pound Pak Army and terror targets during Operation Sindoor in May. “The Excalibur munitions, with a 40-km range, proved very effective. The fresh supply will replenish stocks,” an officer said.The second deal is for 100 shoulder-launched FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), which have a 4-km range, along with 25 command launch units and other equipment for $45.7 million. This comes even as the two countries are also working to finalize a much larger project to jointly manufacture the fire-and-forget Javelin missile systems in India.With a huge deficiency in different kinds of shoulder, vehicle and helicopter-launched ATGMs, the Indian armed forces have been demanding third and fourth-generation ATGMs with longer ranges and greater armour-penetration capabilities for well over a decade now.The Army and IAF have also gone in for a limited number of Israeli Spike ATGMs, both man-portable as well as helicopter-launch ones, over the last few years in the absence of viable indigenous options.DRDO, on its part, says its man-portable ATGM, which has a 2-3 km range, is now fully ready. The ATGM, which is equipped with day/night and top attack capabilities to penetrate modern armour-protected tanks, has been field evaluated in different flight configurations many times, it adds.
