Tata and Javelin Makers Sign Pact to Explore Missile Co-Production in India

India’s defence manufacturing landscape is set for another major development after Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), the partnership between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, to explore co-production of the Javelin missile in India.

The agreement focuses on the Javelin All Up Round (AUR) and could eventually lead to the establishment of a dedicated facility in India for final assembly and integration of the weapon, along with the production of selected components.

Importantly, this is an MoU to explore the co-production arrangement, rather than an announcement that full-scale Javelin manufacturing has already started in India.

Tata selected as the prime Indian partner

According to the companies, Tata Advanced Systems was selected by the Javelin Joint Venture after an evaluation of multiple potential partners based on their capabilities and expertise.

The proposed arrangement would give TASL a central role in future in-country production of the Javelin system. The two sides will now explore the infrastructure and industrial capabilities required for final assembly, integration and component production in India.

For India, the significance goes beyond simply assembling another foreign weapon system. Such an arrangement could bring additional manufacturing expertise, create high-skilled jobs and deepen the country’s role in the global aerospace and defence supply chain.

Not everything will be made in India initially

The proposed production model is also notable because it is designed to connect American manufacturing with Indian assembly.

Lockheed Martin is expected to continue producing sub-assembly kits at its facility in Troy, Alabama, while Raytheon will manufacture guidance electronics units at its Tucson, Arizona facility. These systems would then be shipped to India for final assembly and integration.

That means the programme is better understood as co-production and final integration in India, rather than immediate end-to-end indigenous production of every Javelin component.

At the same time, the MoU also contemplates developing component-production capabilities in India, potentially allowing a greater share of the manufacturing ecosystem to move into the country over time.

Why the Javelin is important

The Javelin is a shoulder-launched, fire-and-forget anti-tank missile system designed primarily to engage armoured targets. It has been widely used by the United States and other partner countries, and the Javelin Joint Venture says it has produced more than 55,000 missiles and over 12,000 reusable Command Launch Units to date.

India’s move towards local assembly could therefore have implications not only for domestic requirements but also for the broader regional market.

The Javelin Joint Venture has specifically linked the Indian production initiative to increasing demand for the system worldwide and the need for a more resilient supply chain.

A boost for India-US defence cooperation

The agreement also fits into the broader expansion of defence-industrial cooperation between India and the United States.

For India, local assembly and component manufacturing could improve access to the system and build expertise within the domestic defence industry. For the United States, production in India can add capacity to the wider Javelin supply chain while retaining significant manufacturing activity in American facilities.

TASL CEO and Managing Director Sukaran Singh said the initiative would bring assembly expertise and knowledge transfer into India’s defence ecosystem while supporting greater self-reliance. He also argued that local assembly could help improve operational readiness and access to the weapon system.

What happens next?

For now, the agreement sets the framework for the two sides to examine how a Javelin production and integration facility could be established in India. The exact location, production timeline, investment and eventual level of indigenous component manufacturing will depend on subsequent decisions and agreements.

Still, the MoU represents an important step. A weapon system jointly produced by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin could eventually have a significant assembly and manufacturing footprint in India, with Tata Advanced Systems positioned at the centre of that effort.

That could make the agreement significant not only for the Javelin programme, but also for India’s larger ambition of becoming a serious defence manufacturing hub.