Australian anti-tank missile FGM-148F Javelin (Image source: Australian Department of Defence)

The Australian Government has approved the purchase of three hundred and fifty (350) Javelin FGM-148F Missiles (including four (4) fly-to-buy missiles). Also included are U.S. Government engineering support, technical data, repair and return services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. Estimated cost is $100 million.

The primary US contractor will be the Javelin joint venture between Lockheed Martin in Orlando, FL and Raytheon Missiles and Defense in Tucson, AZ. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the deployment of US government or contractor representatives to Australia.

The FGM-148 Javelin, or Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium (AAWS-M), is a man-portable anti-tank system that has been in service since 1996 and is continually being improved. It replaced the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in U.S. service. Its fire-and-forget design uses automatic infrared guidance that allows the user to take cover immediately after firing, unlike wire-guided systems such as the Dragon’s system, which require a user to guide the weapon throughout the engagement. The spearThe High Explosive Anti-Tank Warhead (HEAT) can destroy modern tanks by attacking them from above, where their armor is thinnest, and is useful in direct attack against fortifications.