FGM-148 Javelin

FGM-148 Javelin - 127mm

The FGM-148 Javelin is a crew-served, man-portable IR-guided fire-and-forget anti-tank missile in service with the United States military. It originated in the 1983 AAWS-M (Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System - Medium) requirement for a missile to replace the M47 Dragon, which was totally not an excuse to have a weapon program called "awesome." The first proof-of-principle weapons were produced in 1986, with three candidates: Ford Aerospace produced a SACLOS missile using laser beam-riding, Hughes Aircraft Missile System Group a wire-guided weapon using imaging infra-red combined with a fiber-optic cable link, and Texas Instruments a wireless fire-and-forget missile using imaging infra-red. The latter weapon is what would ultimately become the Javelin, being produced by Texas Instruments and Martin Marietta, now respectively parts of Raytheon and Lockheed-Martin. The system entered production in 1996.

Like Dragon, Javelin is a two-part system consisting of individual missiles in disposable casings and a detachable sighting unit (the Command Launch Unit or CLU) which is re-used, being mated to the encased missile prior to launching. Javelin's CLU includes all controls for the missile, a optic / IR sighting unit, and the fire control computer. The CLU can also be used as a portable surveillance system when dismounted.

Javelin's usual missile is an advanced tandem-charge HEAT warhead designed to defeat modern reactive armor, which can be set to top-attack mode for targeting vehicles or direct-fire for engaging other targets such as helicopters. Both trajectories begin with a steep climb, with only the end stage differing. Since Javelin saw extensive use against unarmored targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, a second missile type, the multi-purpose warhead (MPWH) has been developed, which retains the HEAT functionality but also has a steel fragmentation sleeve to increase lethality against infantry.

A new lightweight CLU was introduced in 2013: it is 70% smaller, 40% lighter, and has a 50% improvement in battery life, along with numerous upgrades to electronics such as a high-definition display, long-wave IR sensor, a Far Target Location (FTL) system, and an integrated laser rangefinder / target designator and 5 megapixel camera.

The FGM-148 Javelin missile launcher appears in the following films and video games used by the following actors:

Specifications

(1996 - Present)

• Type: Anti-Tank Missile

• Missile Weight: : 26 lb (11.8 kg)

• CLU Weight: 14.1 lb (6.4 kg)

• Missile Length: 43 in (110 cm)

• Launch Tube Length: 47 in (120 cm)

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Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
War of the Worlds		US Army soldiers		2005
Cloverfield		US Army soldiers		2008
Red Eye		Terrorist Assassins		2005
White House Down		Mercenaries		2013
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice	Callan Mulvey	Anatoli Knyazev		2016
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot		U.S. Marines		2016

Television

Show Title	Actor	Character	Note / Episode	Air Date
Future Weapons				2006-2008
Ultimate Weapons				2009

Anime

Title	Character	Note	Date
Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig	Ishikawa	With futuristic enhancements	2004 - 2005
Jormungand	Voshkod 6 member		2012 - ????

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
ArmA: Armed Assault				2007
ArmA II				2009
Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising				2009
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare			Campaign only	2007
Modern Warfare 2				2009
Modern Warfare 3				2011
Blacksite: Area 51				2008
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots			Erroneously shown as laser-guided	2008
America's Army				2002
Battlefield 3				2011
Homefront	AAWS-M launcher		Shown firing directly	2011
Battlefield 4			Incorrectly required to maintain lock-on, unless target is painted	2013

See Also

• Lockheed Martin - A list of all weapons manufactured by Lockheed Martin.