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FGM-148 Javelin

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File:Fgm-148a.jpg
A soldier practices with the Javelin on a firing range.
For the British Javelin missile, see Javelin surface-to-air missile.

The FGM-148 Javelin is an American man-portable anti-tank guided missile.


Overview

Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The system takes a top-attack flight profile against armored vehicles (attacking the top armor which is generally thinner) but can also take a direct-attack mode for use against buildings or fortifications. This missile also has the ability to engage helicopters in the direct attack mode. [1] The missile reaches a peak altitude of 150m in top attack mode and 50m in direct fire mode. The missile is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker. The tandem warhead is fitted with two shaped charges, a precursor warhead to detonate any explosive reactive armor and a primary warhead to penetrate base armor. Javelin was used in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, with devastating effects on Iraqi T-72s and Type 69 tanks.

The missile is ejected from the launcher so that it reaches a safe distance from the operator before the main rocket motors ignite; a "soft launch arrangement." This makes it harder to identify the launcher and allows it to be fired from within buildings, however back-blast from the launch tube still poses a hazard to nearby personnel. Thanks to this "fire and forget" system, the firing team may displace as soon as the missile has been launched.

The missile system is carried most often by a two man team. The team consists of a gunner and an ammo bearer. During the firing of the missile the gunner aims the system while the ammo bearer pulls security watching for threats. The ammo bearer may also help to spot enemy vehicles, troops, and positions to target while the gunner is scanning another area. Both men carry a tube which houses the missile and is made to protect the missile from harsh environments. The tube also has built in electronics and connectors that make attachment and detachment of the missile to and from the Command Launch Unit a very simple process. The gunner also carries a Command Launch Unit more commonly referred to as a CLU (pronounced clue) and is the targeting component of the two part system. The CLU has three views which are used to find, target, and fire the missile. The first is a day view that is seldom used by most troops operating the system. It is used mainly to scan areas for light, or to the second view is the night view, and shows the gunner a thermal representation of the area viewed. This is also the primary view used due to it being able to detect infared heat signatures and find both troops and vehicles otherwise too well hidden to detect. This results from the inside of the CLU being cooled by a small refrigeration unit attached to the sight. This greatly increases the sensitivity of the thermal imaging capability since the temperature inside the sight is much lower than that of the object from which it is meant to detect radiation. The gunner operates this view with the use of two hand stations similar to the control stick found in modern cockpits. It is from this view that the gunner focuses the image and determines the area that gives the best heat signature on which to lock the missile. Once the area is chosen and the first of two triggers is pulled the third view appears. The third view consists of a closer image of the area previously viewed and allows the gunner to further aim the missile. The second trigger is pulled and a lock established. The missile launches after an almost unnoticeable but evident hesitation.

The CLU may also be used separately from the missile as a portable thermal sight. Infantry are no longer required to stay in contact with armored personal carriers and tanks with thermal sights. This makes the troops more flexible and able to perceive threats they would not otherwise be able to detect.


The process may sound very complex but is incredibly simple. The hardest part of the process is the operation of the controls without being able to see them. A great familiarity of each control and swift operation needs to achieved before the unit can be deployed efficiently. American troops are trained on the system at the Infantry Headquarters in Fort Benning Georgia for two weeks and must accomplish several timed drills with set standards before being qualified to operate the system in both training and wartime situations.

The drawback of the system however is its weight. The system designed to be portable by infantry on foot weighs more than the original design called for. The weight of the system and a normal combat load make the Javelin team the most burdened infantry currently deployed. The only other team that comes close is the two man M240B machine gun team. Another drawback of the system is the reliance on a thermal view to acquire targets. This is hindered by a naturally occurring time where the temperature of the earth may interfere with the intended target. This time is most often after sunset or sunrise when the temperature change is the most drastic.

The missile is currently under condisderation to be used on the M2 Bradley and the M3 Bradley. This system, however, has a shorter range (due to its smaller size) than the wire-guided BGM-71 TOW, the standard for the Bradley.


Javelin is supplied by Raytheon/Lockheed Martin's JAVELIN Joint Venture. Over 20,000 missiles and 3,000 CLUs have been produced.

Characteristics

File:NZ Javelin wn06031149tn.JPG
A New Zealand Javelin detachment during a training exercise. The soldier on the left is aiming a Command Launch Unit while the soldier in the center stands by with a second missile.
  • Length:
    • 1.1 m (42.6 in) missile.
    • 1.2 m (47.2 in) launch tube.
  • Diameter:
    • 127 mm (5.0 in) missile.
    • 142 mm (5.6 in) launch tube.
  • Weight:
    • 11.8 kg (26.0 lb) missile.
    • 6.4 kg (14.1 lb) CLU.
  • Warhead:
  • Range: <75 to >2500 m
  • Guidance system: Imaging infra-red guidance, fire and forget.
  • Command Launch Unit:
    • Passive target acquisition/fire control with integrated day/thermal sight.
    • Magnification 4x day and 4x or 9x thermal.

Comparable systems

  • Spike-MR/LR missile Israeli missile
  • 9M133 Kornet Russian missile

Operators

  •  Czech Republic has bought 3 launchers (and 12 missiles) for its special forces (intended for Afghanistan mission) [3].
  •  Norway - 90 launchers and 526 missiles, delivery from 2006
  •  Republic of China - 40 launchers
    • In a 2002 contract, Taiwan bought 360 Javelin missiles and 40 launcher units for $39 million. The contract also included training devices, logistics support, associated equipment and training.[4] This works out at about $100,000 per missile.

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.army-technology.com/projects/javelin/
  2. ^ Bahrain Requests 160 Javelins & 60 CLUs
  3. ^ A-report(in czech)
  4. ^ Lockheed Martin press release
  5. ^ MOD press release
  6. ^ Javelin - Army Technology

See also

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