The US is offering India a $170 million (Rs 765 crore) deal for the sale of two dozen Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) explained that the missiles would allow the Indian Navy to enhance standardisation and operational ability with the United States. The proposed sale could also contribute to American national security by "strengthen[ing] the US-India strategic relationship".

The Harpoon Block II utilises advanced GPS-aided inertial navigation to execute both land-strike and anti-ship missions. Its 500-pound blast warhead is capable of delivering lethal firepower against a wide variety of targets, including coastal defense sites, surface-to-air missile launchers, industrial facilities and docked ships.



It should be noted that the Pakistani military has stockpiled a number of the anti-ship missiles. India managed to counter the Harpoon during the 1999 Kargil War by purchasing (Israeli) Barak missile defence systems. 

Since the conflict ended, New Delhi has spent over $25 billion on defence imports to improve its naval forces and transport capabilites. Indeed, the Navy recently purchased  a 16,900-tonne Jalashwa transport ship from the US. The 173-metre-long Landing Pontoon Dock (LPD), currrently the second largest Indian warship in service, is capable of transporting four landing craft, six helicopters and a battalion of 900 soldiers.

The US has also agreed to supply six C-130J 'Super Hercules' transport aircraft to the Indian military for $962 million.   

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