'Critical anchor': US Secretary of War Hegseth praises India, pitches Javelin anti-tank missile

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised India arsenic "a captious anchor" for maintaining the equilibrium of powerfulness crossed the Indo‑Pacific. Hegseth made the remarks astatine an lawsuit successful Singapore implicit the weekend, conscionable days aft US President Donald Trump's sojourn to China."In South Asia, India is simply a captious anchor to clasp the line. A almighty India acting successful its ain self‑interest advances our shared extremity of maintaining a equilibrium of powerfulness successful the region," Hegseth said.He besides discussed plans to manufacture the Javelin anti‑tank guided rocket (ATGM) successful India. The Indian Army had selected the Lockheed Martin and RTX (Raytheon) Javelin, but India yet procured the Israeli Spike household of ATGMs aft disagreements implicit transportation of exertion (ToT).

Both RTX and Lockheed Martin presently person a beardown beingness successful India."We've besides committed to pursuing co‑production with India to beforehand capabilities similar Javelin anti‑tank guided munitions. Real, tangible steps to amended the corporate readiness of our forces. This benignant of concern musculus isn't conscionable a long‑term goal; it is an contiguous operational imperative," Hegseth said.

The US experienced shortages of the strategy aft sending much than 10,000 Javelins to Ukraine during its combat with Russian forces, according to a US subject report.

The Washington, DC‑based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warned that US stockpiles fell aft ample transfers to Ukraine that accumulation astatine the clip could not instantly replace. Opening a accumulation enactment successful India could assistance code that shortfall.India is besides processing a akin system, the Man‑Portable Anti‑Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM).

Hegseth highlighted increasing interoperability betwixt the 2 countries, noting the Master Ship Repair Agreements (MSRAs) that let each state to repair the other's ships successful port. "It's gathering dense manufacture and logistics capableness to prolong high‑end subject operations, including the quality to repair and support our shared platforms and enactment US Navy vessels operating guardant successful the theatre," helium said.

The remarks travel conscionable days aft the QUAD overseas ministers' gathering successful New Delhi.