U.S. March 22, 2022 – The U.S. has just delivered 2,000 Javelin anti-tank missile systems to Ukraine.
Description - The Javelin Close Combat Missile System – Medium (CCMS-M) is a man-portable, medium-range tactical missile system that provides the U.S. Army and Marine Corps with precision direct-fire effects to defeat main battle tanks and other armored vehicles as well as personnel and equipment in fortifications or in the open. Javelin is highly effective against a variety of targets at extended ranges during day or night operations, and under battlefield obscurants, adverse weather and multiple countermeasure conditions.
The system’s soft-launch feature permits firing from enclosures commonly found in complex urban terrain, while its modular design allows the system to evolve to meet changing threats and requirements via both software and hardware upgrades. The system consists of a reusable command launch unit (CLU) and a modular missile encased in a disposable launch tube assembly. The CLU provides stand-alone surveillance capability ideally suited for infantry operations in Afghanistan. Javelin’s fire-and-forget technology allows the gunner to fire and immediately take cover, move to another fighting position or reload. Javelin provides enhanced lethality through the use of tandem warheads that defeat all known armor threats, and can be used against stationary or moving targets. This system also provides defensive capability against attacking or hovering helicopters. A new multipurpose warhead will be incorporated into the Fiscal Year 2018 procurement that will improve lethality against soft targets while still meeting all anti-armor requirements. A Lightweight CLU is in development with the goal of reducing the current CLU weight by at least 25 percent and size by at least 30 percent.
Benefit To The Soldier - Javelin provides the Army, Marine Corps and our allies a man-portable, fire-and-forget missile system that is highly lethal against objects ranging from main battle tanks to fleeting targets of opportunity found in current threat environments.
Specifications - Weight (Block 1 Missile and CLU combined): 48.8 pounds (Missile: 33.3 pounds; CLU: 15.5 pounds); Diameter: 127 mm; Range: Qualified to 2,500 meters with demonstrated performance to 4,000 meters in most operational conditions; System includes devices for tactical and classroom training