Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) of US companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon for the co-production of Javelin anti-tank missiles in India.Under the agreement, TASL will partner the JJV to manufacture the Javelin—All Up Round (AUR) in India, a statement by Lockheed Martin said. Javelin—AUR is defined as a factory-assembled missile enclosed in its tactical launch container and ready for immediate combat use.A statement by Lockheed Martin said, TASL was selected by the JJV as the prime partner for future in-country co-production efforts following an evaluation of multiple companies based on their capabilities and expertise.Under the MoU, Tata and JJV will explore establishing a final assembly and integration facility for the Javelin, along with capabilities to produce components in India.This agreement will support future production of the Javelin system while providing unique opportunities for Indian industry and strengthening the regional stability for the Indo-Pacific.In military parlance, the Javelin system is a medium-range, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). It means, the operating crew can literally ‘shoot and scoot’, the missile finds the  target on its own navigation. The missile is fired by troops on the ground to target tanks, armoured vehicles and fortified positions at distances of up to 5 km.Currently, Indian Army uses a mix of indigenous and foreign-origin ATGMs, including systems from France, Israel and Russia.India’s move to source an ATGM from the US comes months after the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), in November last year, approved a possible $45-million sale of 100 Javelin missiles to India.The proposed sale includes 100 Javelin missiles, one fly-to-buy round, 25 command launch units, training aids, simulation rounds, spare parts and full lifecycle support.The Javelin co-production effort will be beneficial for the India and US partnership through creating, building and developing a strong defence workforce in India while sustaining American jobs in the domestic supply chain, the Lockheed Martin said.Under the proposed co-production arrangement, sub-assembly kits and guidance electronics units will continue to be produced at Lockheed Martin and Raytheon facilities in the US. These will be shipped to India for final assembly and integration.Rich Liccion, Vice-President, JJV, and programme director, Lockheed Martin Javelin, said: “This collaboration not only expands India’s high‑tech manufacturing capabilities but also reinforces a stronger, more stable security architecture across the Indo‑Pacific region, enabling our partners around the world to respond swiftly to emerging threats.”Sukaran Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, TASL, said: “This initiative brings critical assembly expertise and knowledge transfer into India’s defence industrial ecosystem.”