The United States (US) Army has awarded a $7.2 Billion indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) production contract to the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) for fiscal years 2023 to 2026 for the Javelin missile / weapon system and associated equipment and services.
The weapons will be distributed to the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and international allies through 2026.
The contract includes a base year with authorized funding to $1.02 Billion and production ramp support to increase Javelin All Up Round (AUR) production to 3,960 per year by late 2026.
The production contract provides procurement of Javelin systems and support for the U.S. Army and international customers.
The contract will also provide tooling, test equipment and non-recurring effort (NRE) for the Javelin production ramp that will support increasing Javelin production capacity both at JJV factories and throughout the supply chain.
Worth mentioning, Lockheed Martine and Raytheon have produced more than 50,000 Javelin missiles for the US armed forces and international customers till date.
About Javelin Missile
Javelin is a man-portable and platform-deployed anti-tank precision weapon system. It defeats all known and projected armor, as well as soft and irregular targets. Javelin uses “fire-and-forget” technology to guide itself to the target without external commands or target designation.
This capability provides superior survivability for operators who can displace immediately after firing, rather than remaining exposed and flying a missile to its target.
This enables the operator to immediately engage additional targets. This technology also allows for ease of use and training. Survivability is enhanced further with the employment of a top-attack target engagement trajectory with a minimum signature launch and missile flyout capability.
Javelin is integrated onto numerous platforms. The standard Javelin missile is mounted to a remote weapon station or turret using a modest integration kit.
The missile’s multipurpose warhead combines multiple effects into a single warhead, equipping warfighters for various missions without switching out rounds for different targets.
It provides penetration capability against advanced armor, including explosive reactive armor. Its fragmenting steel case offers increased lethality against soft targets and light armored vehicles.
After over 20 years of performance, Javelin is in-service with the U.S. military and 19 allied countries. During that time, more than 45,000 missiles have been produced.
The Javelin system is anticipated to be in the U.S. military’s operational inventory through 2050, and has a robust upgrade program to retain overmatch against emerging threats and to support evolving operational needs.
Javelin was developed and produced for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps by the Javelin Joint Venture between Lockheed Martin in Orlando, Florida and Raytheon in Tucson, Arizona.
SPECIFICATIONS
Range: 65m to 4,000m in most operational conditions
Warhead: Tandem-shaped charge, multi-purpose warhead
Magnification: 4x for day sight 4x or 12x for thermal sight
Weight: <34.1 lb (15.5 kg) all-up round
Length: 47.2 in (119.8 cm) launch tube
Diameter: 5.6 in (14.2 cm) launch tube
Readiness Rate: >99% availability
Reliability: >94% engagement success rate
FEATURES
- Capable against a wide array of targets including armored vehicles, bunkers and caves
- One-man-portable and platform-deployable
- Qualified for transport by rail, sea, air and ground
- Command Launch Unit provides all-weather battlefield surveillance
- Inherently resistant to Active Protection Systems and countermeasures
- Minimal training and certification requirements – only 72 hours of classroom training
- Combat proven in all environments, adverse weather and battlefield obscurants
- Proven through more than 5,000 firings in combat operations
Source: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/mfc/pc/javelin/mfc-javelin-pc.pdf
Image Source: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/javelin.html
