UK NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (UK eFP) and Lithuanian troops have conducted anti-tank live-fire training on the ranges at Pabrade. About 40 soldiers from the British Army took part in Exercise Hunter 22 in Lithuania, using state-of-the-art Javelin and NLAW anti-tank weapons systems alongside their Lithuanian allies. The soldiers from Black Horse Troop, the UK contribution to the US-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Poland, is formed from B Squadron The Royal Dragoon Guards. Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) is a NATO-allied forward-deployed defense and deterrence military force in Central and Northern Europe.
This NATO Multimedia footage, shot on tuesday 8th March 2022, includes footage of UK troops operating the Javelin and NLAW weapons systems alongside the Lithuanian Army and an interview with the Commander of Black Horse Troop, Major Will Roome, Royal Dragoon Guards. Black Horse Troop are equipped with Jackal and Coyote vehicles as well as NLAW and Javelin anti-tank weapons. These two anti-tank guided missile systems have been employed by the British Army for a number of years and are a significant force multiplier for lightly armoured troops. This was a pre-planned bilateral exercise focusing on shared anti-tank capabilities.
The FGM-148 Javelin (AAWS-M) is an American-made portable anti-tank missile system in service since 1996 and continuously upgraded. It replaced the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. Its fire-and-forget design uses automatic infrared guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch, as opposed to wire-guided systems, like the system used by the Dragon, which require the user to guide the weapon throughout the engagement. The Javelin’s HEAT warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks by hitting them from above where their armor is thinnest and is also useful against fortifications in a direct attack flight.
The Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW), also known as the Main Battle Tank and Light anti-armor Weapon (MBT LAW), and in Sweden known as the Robot 57 (RB-57), is a fire-and-forget, lightweight shoulder-fired, and disposable (single-use) missile system, designed for use by infantry. The missile, utilizing a soft-launch system, is guided by PLOS (predicted line of sight) and can carry out a top attack or direct attack on an armoured vehicle. It was developed in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics, and manufactured in the United Kingdom, primarily by Thales Air Defence.
