FGM-148 Javelin: The Fire-and-Forget Anti-Tank Missile Explained

The FGM-148 Javelin is a shoulder-fired, man-portable anti-tank guided missile designed for attacking heavily armored vehicles, fortified sites, and other battlefield targets.

In service since the mid-1990s, the system has grown to be one of the world’s best-known anti-armor systems because of its light weight, ease of use, accuracy, portability, and relatively simple operation. One of the key design features of the Javelin missile system is its fire-and-forget mode of operation.

This means that once the missile has locked on a target prior to launch, it can find the target by itself without the operator’s assistance or guidance.

After the missile has been fired, the operator is free to look for cover or other positions. Another of its key features is its capability of attacking from above (top-attack) and directly.

The top-attack is a key design feature; it climbs after the missile is launched, then descends upon the target, attacking from the top, where the armor is the thinnest. For attacking structures, low-flying aircraft, lightly armed vehicles, etc., it may be fired in direct-attack mode.

It includes day and night/thermal capabilities thanks to its two modes of operation: direct and top attack.

The Javelin missile system includes a reusable Command Launch Unit (CLU) and a disposable missile launch tube. The system includes day/night/thermal vision for target acquisition and lock-on, the first for systems of this type to be equipped with such capabilities. The weapon system consists of two main parts: the command launch unit and the missile round.

The Javelin is envisioned as the soldier’s portable solution to combating tanks and other heavy vehicles without the need for specialized vehicles to support the portable anti-tank weapon.

Soldiers are able to carry and employ the system in many operational settings, from flat and open ground to urban battlefields. It is capable of re-use of the Command Launch Unit, which is used by troops in conjunction with the round.

In addition, the Command Launch Unit can be used alone by reconnaissance and surveillance units to observe the target or surrounding area.

The system is being widely adopted by allied forces and is currently being employed regularly for military training exercises and operational development of anti-tank tactics.