Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin JV, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $121,764,089 modification (P00018) to contract W31P4Q-19-C-0076 for FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile weapon system. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 missile procurement funds in the amount of $121,764,089 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. As of 2019, over 5,000 Javelin anti-tank missile have been fired in combat.
The FGM-148 Javelin is an American man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile fielded to replace the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. It uses automatic infrared guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch, as opposed to wire-guided systems, like the Dragon, which require the user to actively guide the weapon throughout the engagement. The Javelin’s HEAT warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks by attacking them from above where their armor is thinnest, and is also useful against fortifications in a direct attack flight.
The portable system is easy to separate into main components and easy to set up when needed. Compared to more cumbersome anti-tank weapon systems, the difference is noticeable. For example, a TOW requires a heavy tripod stand, a bulky protective case for the thermal sight, a larger, longer launch tube, and much more time to assemble and prepare. The Javelin (although still heavy) is lighter than the other missiles and their necessary parts.
Range of up to 4,750 m (15,600 ft)[citation needed] is another advantage of this missile. In UK Vehicle Tests in June 2016, Javelin missile scored 100% in five test firings from a UK-owned ground vehicle. Each Javelin flew distances between 1.2 and 4.3 kilometers (0.75 and 2.65 miles) and hit the ground target each time. The UK’s live-fire tests “confirm Javelin’s greater than 94 percent reliability rate and demonstrate Javelin’s capability to engage targets from increased standoff distances on various platforms”.
