Javelin anti-tank system necessary to thwart any coordinated attack on India: Ex military personnel

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) India’s purchase of the Javelin anti-tank system from the US was “necessary to thwart any possible coordinated attack from Pakistan or China” in the future, given these two countries’ tank capabilities, former military personnel said on Friday.

The responses came after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor confirmed the deal.

In a post on X, Gor said: “In a BIG news! India plans to buy the battle-tested Javelin anti-tank system. Just as @secwar (Pete Hegseth) highlighted at the May 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue, this is a great step forward in the U.S.-India defense relationship and opens the door to co-production possibilities. The engagement between our two nations is at record high levels!”

Speaking to IANS, defence expert Major General P.K. Sehgal (Retd.) said: “First of all, India clearly understands that Pakistan and China can launch a coordinated attack. Both possess substantial tank capabilities. Currently, India faces a significant deficiency in anti-tank guided missiles. To address this deficiency, India had been trying for a considerable time to acquire the Javelin anti-tank weapon system from the United States, but there had been no forward movement.”

“Now, Gor’s statements clearly indicate that forward movement is taking place and a political decision has been reached, which means these anti-tank missiles could arrive in India soon,” he added.

Wing Commander Praful Bakshi (retd) noted that “tank battles are common” in modern warfare, citing the Russia-Ukraine war as an example.

“India’s border is very vast; Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and tank battles have become very common. We have seen it in Ukraine, in Iraq, in the 1971 war, in 1965, Khemkaran, etc…all these are remembered,” he told IANS.

“So, in these tank battles, when an enemy tank comes, you destroy it either with a tank, a tank gun, or with anti-tank weapons; an anti-tank guided missile is very effective…so we have signed this deal with America,” he said.

With the signing of a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) between India and the US, the former becomes a customer of the Javelin system, an advanced, medium-range, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile.

The Javelin is used by the US Army, US Marine Corps, and numerous international customers and is designed for use against a wide array of targets, including armoured vehicles and fortified positions. The equipment is a man-portable anti-tank missile system jointly developed by Lockheed Martin and RTX for use against armoured targets.

–IANS

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