The British Army has conducted its first live fire using Javelin’s Lightweight Command Launch Unit (LWCLU) at extended range, engaging a target at a range of 4km in what is a record for the new variant munition, according to manufacturer Raytheon.
Demonstrated at Salisbury Plain training sites in the UK, the British Army’s adoption of the LWCLU is intended to provide improved efficacy on the battlefield through the doubling of target detection and recognition compared to the current Block I CLU.
In addition, the LWCLU is 30% smaller and 25% lighter and offers day and night engagement capability, while being compatible with past, current, and future Javelin variants.
Andy Amaro, Javelin Joint Venture (JV) president and Javelin programme director at Raytheon, an RTX business, said the test “validates” the range of target detection capabilities of the LWCLU.
As a Javelin partner, the UK supplies components to support production of the munition, which will increase to 3,960 rounds annually by 2026 and 900 LWCLUs by 2030, Raytheon stated.
British Army Lt Col Chris Woods said the test was a “world first” and a “statement of intent” of the service’s efforts to double its lethality by 2027.
However, while the British Army's testing of the LWCLU is a key milestone, it will take years before the UK's Javelin stocks are replenished, following provision of the the munition to Ukraine.
It was reported by Army Technology in 2024 the Javelin rearmament process would not begin in large scale until 2027 at the earliest, when the first batch of F-series munitions arrive in-country.
What is the Javelin missile?
Javelin is a portable anti-tank weapon developed by a JV of defence companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. Ostensibly shoulder fired, it can also be operated from tracked, wheeled or amphibious vehicles.
Raytheon is responsible for the Javelin CLU, missile guidance electronic unit, system software and system engineering management, while Lockheed Martin is responsible for the missile seeker, engineering, and assembly of the missile itself.
Widely deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq by Nato and Coalition forces respectively, the Javelin has also been used by the Ukrainian military against Russian tanks and armoured vehicles in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
In January 2003, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the acquisition of 18 launchers and 144 missiles as a replacement of the Milan system under the light forces anti-tank guided weapon system programme. The system entered service with the British Army in July 2005.
A subsequent follow on $176m contract in December 2009 was placed by the UK Ministry of Defence for more than 1,300 Javelin missile rounds and related engineering support.
According to GlobalData analysis, the Global Missiles & Missile Defense Systems market, which includes guided anti-tank munitions as a key business area, is anticipated to grow from $45.5bn in 2024 to $76.0bn by 2034.
