US State Department Approves Sale of Anti-Tank Missiles to Georgia
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, November 22
(WASHINGTON D.C.) -- The US State Department has given the green light for the sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles and command launch units to Georgia.
The USD 75 million deal requires a final approval from the US Congress. The Congress was notified of the deal on November 17, according to the State Department’s official website.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that the Georgian government offered to buy 410 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 72 Command Launch Units, while also requesting training, transportation and logistics support from American contractors.
DSCA press release issued on Monday confirms that “The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Georgia for Javelin Missiles and Command Launch Units for an estimated cost of $75 million."
According to DSCA, the proposed sale will contribute to the United States’ foreign policy and national security by improving the security of Georgia.
"The Javelin system will provide Georgia with increased capacity to meet its national defense requirements," the release stated as cited by Sputniknews.com
Despite Moscow’s forceful claims that the sale will cause a regional arms race between rival governments whose allegiances are divided between the West and Russia, the State Department claims that the proposed deal will not alter the basic strategic balance in the Caucasus.
The Javelin is a portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank missile that is particularly effective against Soviet and Russian-made T-72B and T-90s, the main battle tanks of the Russian armed forces and their secessionist allies in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
