Javelin Missile: How The ‘Fire-And-Forget’ Anti-Tank System Works

India has signed a letter of offer and acceptance with the United States to purchase the Javelin anti-tank guided missile system through the US Foreign Military Sales process. The agreement follows the US State Department’s approval of a possible $45.7 million sale to the Indian Army about nine months earlier. The Javelin system is produced by the Javelin Joint Venture, comprising RTX and Lockheed Martin, and is already operated by the US Army, US Marine Corps and several international customers.

The Javelin is a medium-range, man-portable, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile designed to engage armoured vehicles and other battlefield targets. Its fire-and-forget capability means the missile guides itself after launch, allowing the operator to move away from the firing position rather than continuously guiding the weapon. This feature is intended to improve the survivability of personnel using the system by allowing them to reposition after engaging a target.

The system can use both top-attack and direct-attack modes. In its top-attack profile, the missile follows an arched trajectory before striking the target from above, where armour protection can be comparatively weaker on many armoured vehicles. Before launch, the operator uses the command launch unit to select and lock onto the target, after which the missile takes over guidance. The system can subsequently be used to engage another threat after the operator has repositioned or reloaded.

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Developed for the US Army and Marine Corps by the Javelin Joint Venture between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, the system has been in full-rate production since 1994. According to Lockheed Martin, the 50,000th Javelin was delivered in 2021. The weapon is designed to be man-portable and can be used against a range of targets, including main battle tanks and other armoured threats. Its soft-launch design also allows it to be fired from enclosed locations such as buildings and bunkers.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor welcomed the agreement as another step in the expanding defence relationship between Washington and New Delhi. He described the deal as reflecting a defence partnership that is becoming deeper and more capable. Gor also pointed to opportunities for greater cooperation between the defence industries of the two countries, including potential co-production opportunities.

The Javelin agreement adds another major US-origin system to India’s defence procurement relationship with Washington. The purchase is expected to contribute to cooperation between the two countries’ defence establishments and industries. For the Indian Army, the system’s combination of portability, autonomous guidance after launch and multiple attack modes provides an additional capability for engaging armoured targets in battlefield conditions.

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