INDIA-U.S. RELATIONS ENTER A PHASE OF STRUCTURED STABILISATION

Clearest signal of this stabilisation comes from the US approval of a $93 million sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Excalibur precision artillery ammunition to India.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Recent developments across defence, trade, diplomacy and people-to-people engagement suggest that India and the United States are entering a phase of structured stabilisation, as both sides recalibrate their partnership towards long-term strategic convergence and away from episodic political or legal strains. The trajectory points to a deliberate effort by Washington and New Delhi to restore functional normalcy through institutional continuity, even as discrete areas of friction continue to surface.

The clearest signal of this stabilisation comes from the United States’ approval of a $93 million sale of Javelin antitank missiles and Excalibur precision artillery ammunition to India. Notified by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 20 November, the clearance underscores that the security establishment in both capitals is proceeding with operational cooperation unabated, despite ongoing trade negotiations and residual diplomatic sensitivities. The sale includes 100 Javelin FGM-148 missiles and 216 M982A1 Excalibur precision-guided artillery rounds, systems designed to enhance India’s high-altitude warfare capabilities.