Raytheon, Lockheed complete first Javelin F-Model missile

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Lockheed Martin announced today they have completed the first production-ready Javelin F-Model anti-tank missile, the latest variant that will be delivered to the Army.

The new F Model has an upgraded multipurpose warhead to defeat current and future armor, including explosive reactive armor, and a fragmenting steel case to eliminate soft targets and light armored vehicles, according to a press release from the companies.

"Now, the warfighters are prepared for any mission without having to switch out different rounds for different targets," Dave Pantano, Javelin Joint Venture vice president said in a press briefing today. "The missile has already endured extensive design verification and qualification testing, which consisted of over 20 flight tests including man-fire tests against multiple target sets in addition to the numerous warhead-level tests conducted just to validate [the warhead] by itself."

The missile has a range of 65 meters up to 4 kilometers "in most operational conditions," according to the briefing.

"The F-model missile will serve as the new baseline for Javelin production and for all future variants from this point forward," Pantano, who works for Lockheed, said.

The companies expect to deliver the F model to the Army this fall, following final verification testing. They are under contract to deliver 511 missiles as the first lot of production.

Meanwhile, the companies are already developing the next Javelin variant after the F model -- the G model, which incorporates an uncooled infrared seeker, modernized guidance section and software upgrades.

Additionally, "the Javelin Joint Venture is currently working with the U.S. Army on a new lightweight command launch unit that, together with the G-Model missile, will greatly reduce the cost and weight of the system while improving the range, effectiveness and survivability for our soldiers against the evolving threats," Pantano said.

The Army also has plans to integrate the Javelin onto the Stryker vehicle through the Common Remotely Operated Weapons System-Javelin Engineering Change Proposal, which has been delayed, according to Marek Wolert, Javelin Joint Venture president.

"We're working on continuous upgrades to the CROWS-J system," Wolert, who works for Raytheon, said. "I think we're going to restart here towards the end of the summer, maybe early fall."