New Delhi, Nov. 21 -- India is set to import Excalibur artillery munitions and the Javelin anti-tank missile system from the US at a cost of nearly $93 million to boost the army's operational readiness, with the US State Department approving the possible foreign military sale of the weapons and ammunition to the country following New Delhi's requests. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has delivered the required certifications notifying Congress about the development, which comes around six months after the country launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May, following the Pahalgam terror strike. Excalibur ammunition was fired from US-origin M777 ultra-light howitzers during the four-day military clash with Pakistan. The Excalibur projectiles and related equipment will cost $47.1 million, and the Javelin system sale will be worth $45.7 million, the DSCA said. The proposed Excalibur sale will improve India's capability to meet current and future threats by providing precision capability equipment, which will increase first strike accuracy in its brigades, the DSCA said in a statement issued in Washington. It gave out details of the Indian requirement, adding that the country will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces. "The Government of India has requested to buy up to two hundred sixteen (216) M982A1 Excalibur tactical projectiles. The following non-MDE (major defence equipment) items will also be included: ancillary items; Portable Electronic Fire Control Systems (PEFCS) with Improved Platform Integration Kit (iPIK); primers; propellant charges; US Government technical assistance; technical data; repair and return services; and other related elements of logistics and program support." This proposed Javelin sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions, the DCSA said in separate statement on the Javelin sale. "The Government of India has requested to buy one hundred (100) FGM-148 Javelin rounds; one (1) Javelin FGM-148 missile, fly-to-buy; and twenty-five (25) Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LwCLU) or Javelin Block 1 Command Launch Units (CLU)," it added. The statement listed out the non-MDE items included: Javelin LwCLU or CLU Basic Skills Trainers; missile simulation rounds; battery coolant unit; interactive electronic technical manual; Javelin operator manuals; lifecycle support; physical security inspection; spare parts; system integration and check out; Security Assistance Management Directorate (SAMD) technical assistance; Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions (TAGM) Project Office technical assistance; tool kits; training; Block 1 CLU refurbishment services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region, the DCSA said in the context of both the proposed deals. The development comes weeks after India and the US signed a 10-year framework to deepen the bilateral defence relationship, during a meeting between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur. The 10-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership was signed on the sidelines of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defence Ministers Meeting Plus. The sale has also been approved at a time when India is contending with an increasingly delicate balancing act between negotiating a trade deal, repairing ties with the US, and maintaining its relationship with Russia. Last week, US President Donald Trump indicated that his administration could soon reduce the overall 50% tariff rate facing Indian exports, citing substantial reductions in India's purchases of Russian oil that have been an irritant for Washington....