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Representative image · Photo: images.moneycontrol.com
Representative image · Photo: images.moneycontrol.com

Tata Advanced Systems, Javelin JV Sign Pact for Missile Co-Production in India

Tata Advanced Systems and the Javelin Joint Venture (Raytheon-Lockheed Martin) will co-produce Javelin missiles in India, with final assembly and integration planned locally.

Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Javelin Joint Venture — a partnership between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin — to co-produce the Javelin All Up Round (AUR) missile in India. The agreement marks a significant step in strengthening India's defence manufacturing ecosystem.

Under the pact, TASL has been selected as the prime partner for future in-country co-production after a competitive evaluation based on capability and technical expertise. The two sides plan to explore setting up a dedicated final assembly and integration facility in India, along with component manufacturing capabilities, to meet future production demands and support regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.

The co-production model will link American supply chains with Indian assembly lines. Multi-year manufacturing of sub-assembly kits will take place at Lockheed Martin's facility in Troy, Alabama, while guidance electronics units will be produced at Raytheon's Tucson, Arizona plant. These components will then be shipped to India for final assembly and integration, creating high-tech jobs locally while sustaining manufacturing positions in the United States.

Rich Liccion, vice president of the Javelin Joint Venture and program director for Lockheed Martin Javelin, said the partnership is a pivotal step in ensuring a resilient supply chain for the critical anti-tank weapon system. He added that the collaboration expands India's high-tech manufacturing capabilities and reinforces a stronger, more stable security architecture across the Indo-Pacific.

Jenna Hunt Frazier, president of the Javelin Joint Venture and Javelin program director at Raytheon, noted that the agreement establishes a foundation to strengthen the global supply chain for Javelin, supporting faster fielding and sustained readiness for partner nations.

Sukaran Singh, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Advanced Systems, said the initiative brings critical assembly expertise and knowledge transfer into India's defence industrial ecosystem, while strengthening self-reliance. He added that local assembly of the Javelin All Up Round will enhance operational readiness and ensure timely access to proven, combat-ready capability for the Indian Armed Forces.

The Javelin system, developed and manufactured by the joint venture, has produced over 55,000 missiles and more than 12,000 reusable Command Launch Units to date. The co-production initiative also allows the US government to achieve economic order quantities, creating cost savings across programs.