Modi-Trump meet: Stryker, Javelin to be co-produced in India; procurement of 6 additional P-8I this year
India and the United States have agreed to initiate the procurement and co-production of Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and Stryker infantry combat vehicles (ICVs) in India to strengthen defense capabilities.
FollowNew Delhi: India and the United States will begin the process for the procurement and co-production of anti-tan guided missiles and Stryker infantry combat vehicles in India, and are expected to complete the acquisition of six additional P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, which are meant for destroying enemy submarines.
In their bilateral meeting at Washington DC, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump announced to “pursue the procurement and co-production of Javelin ATGM and Stryker ICV in India to rapidly meet India’s defence requirements.”
In the meeting, the two leaders also agreed to complete the procurement for six additional P-8I Maritime Patrol aircraft to “enhance India’s maritime surveillance reach in the Indian Ocean Region following agreement on sale terms.” The deal was put on hold for three years.
Worth USD 3.2 billion, India has already procured 12 P-8I maritime patrol aircraft under two deals in 2009 and 2016. These patrol aircraft are equipped with multi-mode radars and advanced electro-optic sensors. Harpoon Block-II missiles, MK-54 lightweight torpedoes, rockets and depth charges are also fitted in the aircraft.
Stryker ICV
In 2024, Stryker ICV was demonstrated in the high-altitude of Ladakh for the Indian Army. The two countries have been negotiating for co-production of Stryker armored fighting vehicles for months. India is looking for 530 units for ten mechanized infantry battalions.
Stryker ICV will replace the BMP-II Sarath fleet of the Indian Army to meet requirements for reconnaissance-and-support and mechanized infantry units.
Packed with a 350-horsepower engine and a 30 mm cannon and a 105 mm mobile gun, Stryker ICV has a top speed of 97 km/h, and base protection against 14.5 mm armor-piercing rounds. It has a range of 483 km.
It is operated by a two-person crew and can carry a nine-man infantry squad. As of now, Stryker lacks amphibious capabilities.
Javelin ATGM
An infrared-guided man-portable anti-tank missile system, Javelin ATGM is designed to destroy tanks and other armoured targets from a shoulder-fired position.
It has the ability to lock onto its target before launch and its "fire-and-forget" capability. With high accuracy, the missile can hit the targets even in adverse weather conditions. It can be used in direct attack mode to destroy a target or, if fired upwards, to shoot down a low-flying aircraft such as a helicopter and drones. Its reload and reacquire time takes around one minute.
Javelin ATGM is about 1.2 meters long, 127 millimeters in diameter, and weighs 22.1 kilograms, carries a tandem-charge, high-explosive antitank (HEAT) warhead. It is also known as the FGM-148 system. It has a maximum range of 2.5 km.
India currently operates with US-origin defence platforms, including C 130J Super Hercules, C 17 Globemaster III, P 8I Poseidon aircraft; CH 47F Chinooks, MH 60R Seahawks, and AH 64E Apaches; Harpoon anti-ship missiles; M777 howitzers; and MQ 9Bs.
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