US State Department has cleared two Foreign Military Sales to India of Excalibur Projectiles, Javelin Missile System and related equipment for an estimated cost of $92.8 million.
New Delhi: Amid intense trade tariff tensions between two countries, US State Department has cleared two Foreign Military Sales to India of Excalibur Projectiles, Javelin Missile System and related equipment for an estimated cost of $92.8 million.
Excalibur Projectiles and related equipment whose estimated cost stands at $47.1 million was used during Operation Sindoor — the military conflict between India and Pakistan — to target terrorist camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. An artillery ammunition, excalibur projectiles are fired from M-777 Ultra Light Howitizer, a specialised artillery gun. About a decade back, India had procured 145 of them from the United States.
“India has asked for 216 of the ‘Excalibur projectiles’ and these have been okayed by the US under a $47.1-million deal along with another $45.7-million deal to procure about 100 Javelin Missile Systems,” a statement from US State Department said.
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On May 7, the ‘Excalibur’, which has precision firing ability, had hit seven out of nine targets in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
This is the first defence deal since the two countries engaged into trade tarrif row. The US imposed 50 per cent tariff on India goods reaching US markets. This includes a 25 per cent punitive tariff for buying crude oil from Russia.
Javelin
The estimated cost for Javelin missile system and related equipments stands at $45.7 million.
“India has requested to buy one hundred (100) FGM-148 Javelin rounds; one (1) Javelin FGM-148 missile, fly-to-buy; and twenty-five (25) Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LwCLU) or Javelin Block 1 Command Launch Units (CLU).”
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification for the two sales to India notifying Congress on Wednesday.
The DSCA notification said India requested to buy up to 216 Excalibur tactical projectiles. The DSCA also approved with the deal a portable electronic fire control system.
The DSCA said on India, “This proposed sale will 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 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.