TATA signs agreement for Javelin ‘co-production’ in India, numbers for anti-tank missile to ramp up
Tata Advanced Systems Limited signed an agreement with the Javelin Joint Venture (a partnership of two US defence manufacturers) for co-production of the Javelin anti-tank guided missile's All-Up Round in India
The plan envisages a final assembly and integration facility in India, with sub-assembly kits and guidance electronics units manufactured at US facilities and shipped for assembly in India
The co-production agreement follows a separate Rs 292 crore government-to-government deal signed days earlier for procurement of Javelin missiles for the Indian Army
The procurement deal was concluded through the US Foreign Military Sales route under the Emergency Procurement powers granted to the armed forces to build capability quickly
Over 55,000 Javelin missiles and 12,000-plus reusable Command Launch Units have been produced globally to date
Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 — Procurement Categories
India's defence procurement is governed by the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, issued by the Ministry of Defence to align acquisitions with the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India objectives. It lays down a preference order of procurement categories, with domestically designed and made equipment ranked highest.
Key Details
- Order of preference: Buy (Indian-IDDM — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) > Buy (Indian) > Buy and Make (Indian) > Buy and Make > Buy (Global-Manufacture in India) > Buy (Global)
- Buy (Indian-IDDM) requires indigenous design and a minimum of 50% Indian content; it is reserved for vendors with Indian ownership and FDI capped at 49%
- The Ministry of Defence maintains a "positive indigenisation list" of platforms banned for import, which can only be procured under the Indian-preference categories
- Government-to-government purchases (like the Javelin deal) typically use the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, a US government program distinct from direct commercial vendor contracts
The initial Rs 292 crore Javelin purchase used the FMS route for urgent induction, while the Tata co-production agreement is a separate industrial step toward eventual domestic manufacture — illustrating how India layers immediate procurement with long-term indigenisation under DAP 2020.
Emergency Procurement (EP) Powers
Emergency Procurement is a fast-track acquisition mechanism that allows the armed forces to bypass the standard multi-stage DAP process to rapidly induct critical equipment, typically capped by monetary and timeline limits set by the Ministry of Defence for each tranche.
Key Details
- EP powers are granted in successive tranches (e.g., EP-1 through EP-6) following operational requirements identified by the Services
- Each tranche typically has a monetary ceiling per Vice Chief/Service Chief and a defined validity period
- EP procurements have been used to plug capability gaps identified during and after border stand-offs and conflict situations
- Deliveries under such fast-tracked contracts are typically scheduled within one to two financial years of signing
The Javelin missile purchase was processed under Emergency Procurement powers, reflecting the Army's requirement to rapidly augment anti-tank capability outside the standard multi-year DAP acquisition cycle.
Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Technology
An Anti-Tank Guided Missile is a precision-guided munition designed to destroy armoured vehicles. The Javelin is a "fire-and-forget" system, meaning the gunner does not need to maintain a target lock after launch, distinguishing it from older wire-guided or beam-riding ATGMs (such as the Milan or Konkurs) that require continuous operator guidance.
Key Details
- Javelin uses an infrared imaging seeker for automatic target tracking after lock-on, and can be fired in "top-attack" mode to strike a tank's thinner top armour, or direct-attack mode for bunkers and fortifications
- It is man-portable and shoulder-launched, and can also be vehicle, aircraft, or watercraft mounted
- India has historically also inducted Russian ATGMs (Konkurs, Milan-2T) and developed the indigenous Nag/HELINA (helicopter-launched) missile under DRDO's ATGM programme
- Fire-and-forget capability reduces gunner exposure time on the battlefield compared to guided systems requiring sustained line-of-sight
The Javelin acquisition and its planned local co-production add a fire-and-forget capability to the Army's ATGM inventory, which has historically relied on second-generation wire-guided systems.
- Value of the initial Javelin procurement deal: Rs 292 crore
- Procurement route: US Foreign Military Sales (FMS), under Emergency Procurement powers
- Javelin Joint Venture: partnership between two major US defence manufacturers producing the missile since the 1990s
- Global Javelin production to date: over 55,000 missiles and 12,000+ reusable Command Launch Units
- Co-production plan: final assembly/integration facility in India; guidance electronics and sub-assembly kits sourced from US facilities
- DAP 2020 offset requirement: 30% of estimated acquisition cost for Buy (Global) category contracts valued at Rs 2,000 crore or more