Ukraine to Get 4,000 Javelins as Share of US Army $1.3 Billion Contract

The US Army has awarded a $1.3 billion follow-on production contract to the Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) to produce FGM-148 Javelin Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium (AAWS-M) missiles and related equipment and services. This includes around 4,000 missiles for Ukraine to replenish stockspreviously supplied.

This single year agreement is part of a larger contract awarded last year for the JJV to provide an “indefinite quantity” of the missiles between 2023 and 2026 with a likely total value of more than $7 billion. The Maryland-based defense contractor has been ramping up Javelin production and says it has plans to extend its annual manufacturing capability to around 4,000 missiles.

The global demand for the Javelin has increased as a result ofits performance against Russian tanks and other armored vehicles during the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It employs a tandem charge warhead in a top attack method where the armor is typically thinner. Upon impact, the warhead can penetrate up to 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA).

The missile’s precursor charge disrupts Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) or slat bar armor before the main warhead penetrates the main armor, allowing it to defeat even the most advanced protective systems on modern main battle tanks.The combination of the tandem warhead, top-attack capability, and high penetration power is lethal against almost all modern battlefield armor.

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Javelin has a maximum effective range of around 4.75 kilometers (3 miles), although in most engagements during the war in Ukraine it has been used at around 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles). It has been highly effective in combat against Russian armored vehicles, particularly against T-72, T-80, and T-90 main battle tanks.

To date the US has delivered more than 10,000 Javelin missiles and several hundred launchers to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, where they have played a crucial role in Ukraine's ability to counter Russian armored vehicles.

Open-source reports suggest that the Javelin has led to the destruction of hundreds of Russian tanks, where its fire-and-forget technology allows Ukrainian troops to engage targets from a distance and quickly move firing positions minimizing the likelihood of being hit by enemy counter fire.

The success of the Javelin (and the Saab Bofors Next-Generation Light Anti-Armor Weapon - NLAW) led to them being collectively dubbed “Saint Javelin” by their Ukrainian users. This led to a former journalist, Christian Borys, designing a religious icon style figure cradling the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank weapon as a logo which was used to sell stickers, T-shirts and other memorabilia to raise charitable funds in Ukraine.