How Powerful is Javelin Anti-Tank Missile

how powerful is javelin anti-tank missile [Music] [Applause] the us-made fgm-148 javelin is one of the premier portable anti-tank missile systems in the world it's also an expensive piece of kit with each missile typically costing more than the targets it eliminates still the infrared guided javelin has proven itself in combat in Iraq Afghanistan and Syria and has reliable stick that should work on virtually any tank out there it hits them on the weak top armor it also exposes its crew to less danger than the typical guided missile system because it's such a lightweight system it may end up being a first responder on the ground to emergencies that could be described as massive unexpected tank invasions a scenario the US military could have faced during Operation Desert Shield when it deployed light infantry to defend Saudi Arabia and currently fears in the Baltics the javelin is so effective that who the United States sells or gives javelins to has become a political issue on more than one occasion within the US military the javelin also looks to set to transition from being purely an infantry system to being mounted on vehicles so how does one throw these anti-tank Spears and why are they so powerful the javelin doesn't look as sleek and deadly as its name would have you think it resembles a clunky dumbbell slightly over 1 metre in length fortunately you don't need good looks to blow up a tank the javelins command launch unit cou has a sophisticated infrared sensor with multiple viewing modes including 4 times optical zoom a 4 times green lit thermal view a 12 times narrow vision zoom activated for targeting the seeker in the missile even provides a fourth 9 times thermal viewing mode the CL you can therefore serve as a handy scanning device for the infantry the thermal viewers on the javelin need to be cooled off to function well which theoretically takes 30 seconds but might take a bit longer if you're in Baghdad and it's a breezy 120 degrees at noon the system also incorporates multiple safe guards to avert or abort accidental launch the CLU when loaded with a missile weighs in at 50 pounds most of the weight comes from the missile and can be fired from a crouch or even seated position that's a lot lighter than the wire-guided toe or other long-range missiles that typically required a heavy tripod still it's not exactly something you'd want to run a marathon where once the fire acquires a target locks the infrared seeker onto it and pulls the trigger the javelin missile is ejected out of the CLU without using its rocket motor in soft launch creating relatively little back blast missile launch back blast not only makes it easy for opposing forces to spot the launcher after firing but can make launching while inside a confined space a building a deadly risk so the javelin small back blast is very handy for keeping the operator alive still the launch does blow back some gas so you don't want to stand directly behind it afterwards the javelins gunner must actually the gunner could play candy crush on their cellphone if they wanted to because unlike most long-range anti-tank missiles the javelin is a fire-and-forget system and requires no further input after launch the javelin crew is free to duck into cover and concealment rather than being forced to remain fixed in place guiding the missile toward the target as is necessary with semi-automatic command line of sight sack closed systems such as the wire-guided tow or laser-guided 80 14 Cornette after launch a javelin shoots forward horizontally for a second before its rocket motor ignites and it climbs up 150 meters into the air known as a curveball shot it's quite a sight the missiles infrared seeker benefiting from gyroscopes and gimbals makes adjustments using thrusters to ensure its trajectory leads it to plunge almost vertically into the infrared signature it was locked on to a javelin fired in this manner will strike the top armor of an armored vehicle which is generally much thinner than the frontal or even side armor the javelin 127 millimeter shaped charge warheads estimated to penetrate the equivalent of six hundred to eight hundred millimeters of rolled hardened armor RHA which is not particularly impressive given that modern tanks now feature composite armor that is extra effective against such warheads but that really doesn't matter it's still more than enough to penetrate the top armor of anything out there at least as long as we don't consider other defensive systems one common defense which sometimes does reinforce top armor is explosive reactive armor er a a layer of explosive bricks covering a tank intended to prematurely detonate the shaped charges used by missiles however the javelin has a tandem charge warhead designed to defeat er a using a precursor charge at the front of the warhead to take out the local er a brick blasting opened a gap through which the main warhead can hit the tanks conventional armor the javelin can also be fired in direct attack mode useful for hitting targets that are too close for the top attack or that benefit from top cover like a bunker or cave entrance the direct fire mode could also be effective against low-flying helicopters one of the javelins few limitations is its range two and a half kilometers though adequate for most combat situations older missiles like dito or cornet most ranges of five kilometers or more so do they actually work the javelin was designed in the 70s and 80s when the leaders of the US military had nightmares about being overrun by endless hordes of Soviet tanks a fear worsened by the generally poor performance of the m47 dragon missile in use at the time however the javelin finally entered service in the US military in 1996 after the Cold War had ended and first saw action in 2003 during the US invasion of Iraq at the time the United States was not able to deploy troops to northern Iraq by land so instead an air-dropped Special Forces and paratroopers that fought alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in the battle of de Bekaa pass a force of a few dozen Special Forces operators and a larger Peshmerga contingent engaged and destroyed an Iraqi mechanized company of over a hundred soldiers the US Force had just four javelin launch units nineteen javelin missiles were fired 17 of which hit destroying two t-55 tanks eight mt-lb armored personnel carriers and several trucks reportedly all of the javelin shots were made at 2,200 meters range or further close to or exceeding the official maximum range of the weapon and one hit was even reported at 4200 meters javelins knocked out several more tanks during the Iraq war including type 69 tanks and lion of Babylon t-72s none of them cutting edge types as the conventional phase of the conflict ended the javelins main duty soon came to sniping smaller softer targets the javelins precise targeting scope was ideal for spotting and taking out at long ranges insurgent heavy weapons teams armed with machine guns missiles or recoilless rifles as well as the occasional pickup truck other weapon systems available to the infantry lacked the combination of long range and precision the future of the javelin the javelin is undergone quite a few upgrades since initial deployment in 1996 let's take a look at three of the most important ones given that the javelin has been used primarily to hit soft targets and structures a new version of the javelin warhead with a deadlier blast fragmentation has been introduced designated as the fgm-148 F this new warhead is supposedly just as effective against tanks and no costlier than its predecessors finally a new extended range javelin has been recently tested capable of hitting targets up to 4.5 kilometers away this is significant as one of the chief rationales for keeping the tow missile is the standard vehicle mounted anti-tank weapon was it's longer range of nearly 5 kilometers a long-range javelin would seem to be superior in any case the javelin missile remains one of the United States most potent systems on the ground and one that seems set to increase in capability and be deployed on a greater number of platforms its presence or absence on battlefields around the world will remain both consequential and highly scrutinized [Music]

Channel: US Military News

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Keywords: javelin anti tank weapon, javelin anti tank missile system, javelin anti tank missile, fgm-148 javelin missile, javelin anti-tank missile, javelin anti tank weapons, FGM-148 Javelin, FGM-148, anti tank missile test, future anti tank missile, javelin missile firing, javelin missile launch, javelin missile test, javelin missile launcher, javelin missile future weapons, javelin missile hit, javelin missile hits tank, new javelin missile, javelin missile vs tank

Id: 6COKC5ZU6gM

Length: 10min 8sec (608 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 27 2020