Javelin

The portable anti-tank weapon, Javelin, is the subject of this special DJ Report

Javelin is a portable antitank weapon, developed and manufactured by Raytheon/Lockheed Martin JAVELIN Joint Venture of Lewisville, Texas and Orlando, Florida. It is shoulder-fired and can also be installed on tracked, wheeled or amphibious vehicles.

PROGRAMME

            After several programmes to define a replacement for the M47 Dragon antitank missile, the US Army announced a programme in 1985 called the Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System - Medium, abbreviated to AAWS-M, and in 1986 the Army issued a Request for Proposals (RFP).

In 1989, the US Army awarded a contract for the development of AAWS - M, the Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System - Medium to the Raytheon/Lockheed Martin JAVELIN Joint Venture. The Raytheon/Lockheed Martin JAVELIN Joint Venture was formed by two companies, Texas Instruments of Dallas, Texas and Lockheed Martin Electronics and Missiles, of Orlando, Florida (previously Martin Marrietta). Texas Instruments had previously worked on a Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project known as Tank Breaker which was an anti-tank missile using infra-red focal plane array seeker technology and a top attack mode flight path.

Initial production of Javelin was carried out by Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin Joint Venture under three Low Rate Initial Production contracts and the systems were first deployed in June 1996 by the US Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA. A schedule of operational and technical test programmes was successfully completed in early 1994. 148 out of 165 successful engagements were recorded. In final missile production tests, first time Army and Marine gunners scored seven hits for seven firings. Multi-year contracts are expected to commence in 1997 and fielding to the US Marine Corps is expected in 1999. The Javelin system has been cleared by the US Department of Defence for Foreign Military Sales.

DESCRIPTION

Javelin is a man portable anti-tank weapon with a carry-weight of 22.3 kg. The Javelin system consists of the Command Launch Unit, CLU, and the round. The Command Launch Unit, with a carry weight of 6.4 kg, incorporates a passive target acquisition and fire control unit with an integrated day sight for use in clear visibility and a thermal imaging sight for use at night and in reduced visibility. The gunner's controls for the missile system are on the CLU. The day sight is equipped with x4 magnification and the night sight with x4 and x9 magnification optics. The CLU is powered by a BA5590 lithium battery with operational time of 4 hours per battery.

The round consists of the Javelin missile and the Launch Tube Assembly, LTA. The missile has dimensions 1081.2 mm body length by 126.9 mm body diameter and the weight is 11.8 kg. The range of the missile is 2000 metres. Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The missile is equipped with an imaging infra-red seeker which is based on cadmium mercury telluride (CdHgTe) focal plane array technology in the long wave infra-red band at waveband 8 to 12 microns. The tandem warhead is fitted with two shaped charges to provide penetration through advanced armour. The propulsion system is a two stage solid propellant design which provides a minimum smoke soft launch.

The missile is contained in an expendable Launch Tube Assembly, LTU, until it is fired. The weight of the Launch Tube Assembly is 4.1 kg, and the dimensions are length 1198.0 mm and diameter 142.1 mm.

OPERATING PROCEDURE

            The system is deployed and ready to fire in less than 30 seconds and the reload time is less than 20 seconds. The missile is mounted on the Command Launch Unit and the gunner engages the target using the sight on the CLU, by placing a curser box over the image of the target. The gunner locks on the automatic target tracker in the missile by sending a lock-on-before-launch command to the missile. When the system is locked-on, the missile is ready to fire and the gunner does not carry out post launch tracking or missile guidance. Unlike conventional wire guided, fibre-optic cable guided, or laser beam riding missiles, Javelin is autonomously guided to the target after launch, leaving the gunner free to reposition or reload immediately after launch.

            A soft launch ejects the missile from the launch tube to give a low-recoil shoulder launch. The soft launch enables firing from inside buildings or covered positions. Once the missile is clear, the larger propellant in the second stage is ignited and the missile is propelled towards the target. The weapon has two attack modes, direct or top attack. The gunner selects direct attack mode to engage covered targets, bunkers, buildings and helicopters. The top attack mode is selected against tanks, in which case the Javelin climbs above and strikes down on the target to penetrate the roof of the tank where there is the least armour protection.

TRAINERS

Two items of training equipment for Javelin are the Basic Skills Trainer, BST, and the more advanced Field Tactical Trainer, FTT.

            The Basic Skills Trainer is for indoor training centre and shipboard use. The trainee has a simulated missile round and a Command Launch Unit. The instructor has a work station where he carries out selection of mission scenarios and scores the gunnerŐs performance. The trainee gunner can practice search and engage functions, including basic target identification, target acquisition, and lock-on procedures using computer generated battlefield images displayed in the Command Launch Unit.

Advanced instruction is carried out on a Field Tactical Trainer, FTT which simulates realistic target engagement in a tactical environment. A simulated round contains a MILES scoring device and a missile launch simulator. The simulated round is attached to a tactical Command Launch Unit. An instructor electronics backpack and video recorder console are used to record the mission training exercise for later replay.