Javelin Missile Successfully Tested On UK Army Ground Vehicle

The Javelin Joint Venture team, a partnership of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, have successfully demonstrated Javelin missile’s ability to engage targets beyond its current 2.5 kilometer range requirement during a series of ground vehicle launch tests.

The five tests were conducted for the U.K. Army at the Salisbury Plain Training Area in Wiltshire, England.

During the U.K. Army-sponsored tests, the Javelin missiles were mounted on a Spartan armoured fighting vehicle and fired via the Kongsberg M151 Remote Weapon Station. Each missile flew between 1.2 and 4.3 kilometers, hitting the stationary ground target in each test.

“Javelin’s effectiveness in this demonstration enables mounted infantry to confidently engage targets at ranges that surpass other weapons in this class,” said John Halvey, Javelin Joint Venture president at Raytheon Missile Systems. “This range, coupled with vehicle integration, enhances overmatch for mounted infantry units.”

The live-fire tests confirm Javelin’s greater than 94-percent reliability rate and demonstrate Javelin’s capability to engage targets from increased standoff distances on various platforms.

“These successful ground tests validate Javelin’s long-range engagement capability,” said Rich Benton, Javelin Joint Venture vice president and Javelin program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “These tests also reinforce Javelin’s maturity and readiness for deployment from vehicles and other platform”.