FGM-148 Javelin

FGM-148 Javelin Block 0 with original M98A1 CLU and original BCU (the current production BCU has a mesh heat shield rather than a solid one) - 127mm

Javelin flight profiles for top attack and direct attack, for reference.

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 Antitank Weapon System - Medium) requirement for an infantry guided missile system 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 LOSBR (line of sight beam riding) missile, Hughes Aircraft Missile System Group a wire-guided weapon using imaging infra-red combined with a fiber-optic cable link (presumably an ACLOS (automatic command line of sight) system where the operator would only have to keep the target within the imager's field of view after locking on rather than directly designating it), 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 (the Launch Tube Assembly or LTA, which includes the Battery Coolant Unit (BCU) which provides a four-minute supply of power for the missile electronics and coolant for the missile seeker once activated: the missile must be fired within this window once the BCU is activated) and a detachable sighting unit with an independent power supply (the Command Launch Unit or CLU) which is re-used, being mated to the LTA prior to launching. Javelin's CLU includes all controls for the missile, a day / night sighting unit with a built-in electronic cooling unit powered by a replaceable battery, and the fire control computer. The missile is locked on to the IR image of the target by aiming the CLU, with guidance fully automated after launching using image tracking: the stated effective range is 2,500m (1.55 miles) (original Block 0 missiles had a stated effective range of 2,000m (1.24 miles)), but Javelin has scored hits at up to 4,750m (2.95 miles) during testing. Minimum range is 150m (492ft) in top-attack mode and 65m (213ft) in direct mode. 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 armored vehicles or direct-fire for engaging other targets such as helicopters. Both trajectories begin with a steep climb, with only height of the climb (maximum of 160m (525ft) for top-attack and 60m (197ft) for direct) and trajectory of the end stage differing. The missile uses a soft-launch system with a small booster charge that burns out while the missile is still inside the LTA, the main thruster then firing when the missile is a safe distance from the launcher and accelerating it to full speed before it too burns out, the missile gliding for the remainder of its flight time. 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.

Two variants of the CLU currently exist: the Block 0 version (M98A1) is as shown above, while the Block 1 version (M98A2) has additional foam shock absorbers and a larger main camera, and uses a digital video output with the original CLU's warning lights mostly integrated into the display. A new lightweight CLU began development 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. First deliveries of this new CLU are expected in September 2019. LTA units are manufactured by Orbital ATK, while CLUs are manufactured by Raytheon.

The FGM-148 Javelin and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Specifications

(1996 - Present)

• Type: Guided missile launcher

• Caliber: 127mm (5 in)

• Missile Weight: : 26 lb (11.8 kg)

• CLU Weight: M98A1 CLU: 14.1 lb (6.4 kg) with battery, carrying bag and cleaning kit

• 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		US 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

Considering the extremely short range most video game maps are, "shown firing at impossibly short range" and "incorrect trajectory" are pretty much a given.

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
ArmA: Armed Assault			CLU disappears when weapon is fired	2007
ArmA II				2009
Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising				2009
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare	FGM-148 Javelin		Campaign only, incorrect CLU warning lights	2007
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2	Javelin		incorrect CLU warning lights	2009
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3	Javelin		incorrect CLU warning lights	2011
Blacksite: Area 51			Incorrectly shown with a fixed tube loaded with loose missiles	2008
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots			Incorrectly shown as SACLOS and fully disposable	2008
America's Army				2002
Battlefield 3	FGM-148 Javelin			2011
Homefront	AAWS-M launcher		Shown firing directly	2011
Yakuza: Dead Souls	Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher			2012
Battlefield 4	FGM-148 Javelin		Incorrectly required to maintain lock-on, unless target is painted	2013
Yakuza 5			Seen in a cutscene. Actually mimics the correct trajectory, although still fired at impossibly short range.	2015
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	JOKR			2019
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II	JOKR			2022

See Also

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