Javelin Enters Service in UK Sooner Than Expected

Released on Friday, July 29, 2005

The announcement that the shoulder-launched missile has successfully entered service was made on the 28th July during a live firing trial on Salisbury Plain. The system was not originally expected to achieve its In Service Date (ISD) until November 2005 at the earliest.

At the firing exercise troops demonstrated Javelin's potential by firing the new weapon from a variety of situations, hitting target tanks from different ranges and from different fire positions, including trenches, vehicles and confined spaces.

The Javelin anti-tank missile system is already in operation with the US military and will give the UK armed forces a superb replacement for its aging Milan missile systems. The fire and forget Javelin is lighter than Milan and will benefit from an innovative hybrid commercial arrangement negotiated with the US contractors and the US Department of Defense (DoD) that will keep through-life costs to a minimum.

Javelin represents a step change in technology compared with the existing Milan and Swingfire systems which it will replace. Each system is light enough to be carried easily by two men and can be set up, locked onto its target and fired in moments. Hitting targets within a range of 2.5 km.

The medium range, man-portable, multi-purpose weapon will b provided to both the British Army and the Royal Marines. The British Army Armoured Infantry (AI) and Formation Reconnaissance (FR) forces, light infantry units, 3 Commando Brigade and Mechanised Infantry (MI) will all be equipped with Javelin.

Javelin is being provided to the MOD by the US Javelin Joint Venture (Lockheed Martin and Raytheon) in a deal worth in the region of £500 million ($960 million) which has created or sustained around 300 jobs in the UK.