2 years ago

America’s Javelin FGM-148 is a force multiplier for mounted and dismounted infantry. The Javelin is portable, reusable, and shoulder-fired.
Ukraine war: St Javelin and the missile that has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance
The U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin is one of the premier portable anti-tank missile systems in the world. It’s also an expensive piece of kit, with each missile typically costing more than the targets it eliminates.

They are are one of the world’s most effective anti-tank weapons, and have a long range of 2.5km (1.5 miles), which makes them effective in a combat situation.
They also target tanks from above, hitting where the armour is at its weakest.
One of the reasons they are being used in Ukraine is that they are supposed to be relatively easy to learn to use.
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.
Images of Ukrainian troops carrying Javelin missile launchers on their shoulders have flashed around the world, making the anti-tank weapon -- capable of piercing the most sophisticated armor, and particularly useful in guerrilla warfare -- a symbol of Ukrainian resistance to Russia's invasion.
According to a senior US official, the Ukrainians have already received some 17,000 anti-tank weapons from various Western countries, including several hundred Javelin launchers, and Washington announced on Saturday new military aid totalling $200 million and including the anti-tank weapon.
Javelin Is the One Anti-Tank Weapon Putin Truly Takes (And Ukraine Keeps Buying): Need to reach out and touch an enemy tank and send it to an early grave? Look no further than the Javelin anti-armor system. This is one of the best anti-tank missiles in the world. The U.S. transferred a large number of Javelin launchers and missiles to Kyiv over the last three years, but will that be enough to stop the Russians from a potential armored invasion of Ukraine?

It works like this. The gunner finds a tank or armored vehicle in day or night with the Command Launch Unit. This sends an infrared picture to the seeker system. There are several imaging modes, including thermal viewing, for a lock on target. Then the missile is clear to launch.

Ukrainian forces have also received thousands of other anti-tank weapons, including British NLAWs, Swedish-made AT4s and Carl-Gustavs, German Panzerfausts and Spanish Instalaza C90s.
From here it gets even more interesting. The first motor puts the munition five to ten yards away from the launcher. Then the main propellant kicks in. The missile flies upward at a steep angle and then can come down directly on the weak part of a tank – the top of the turret. This is what makes the anti-armor capability so great.
Javelin is a fire and forget system, meaning after launch there is no other aiming needed from the operator. This is a great advantage for soldiers and marines. The launcher team can eliminate a tank, then can take cover or scoot to another safe location while the missile is arcing toward its target and sight in yet another blast. This means the enemy has no idea where the missile is coming from. The Javelin can also be mounted on an infantry fighting vehicle.

A loaded Javelin launcher weighs only 49 pounds. It has a top range of 2.5 miles. The Javelin was used at least 5,000 times during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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