The British Army has conducted its first live fire using the new Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Unit at an extended range of 4 kilometers on Salisbury Plain in southern England, marking the longest distance ever achieved with the system.
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According to the U.K. Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment & Support, the milestone demonstrates the effectiveness of Raytheon’s upgraded launcher, which is 30 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than its predecessor and offers improved target detection and recognition.
Victoria Thornhill, Javelin project manager at DE&S, said the extended-range capability doubles the Javelin’s lethality and offers British forces a more versatile anti-tank solution. “The U.K. Armed Forces are pioneers in firing the LWCLU out to the 4K range, making them the first in the Javelin international user group to conduct this activity,” she added.
Designed by the Javelin Joint Venture between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, the Javelin portable, medium-range anti-tank guided missile system uses fire-and-forget technology to strike armored vehicles, bunkers and other targets. The United Kingdom, a key Javelin partner, is supplying components to the venture, with a target of 3,960 missiles annually by 2026 and 900 LWCLUs by 2030.
Dave Pantano, JJV vice president and Lockheed Martin Javelin program director, said the activity demonstrates how the Javelin program continues to adapt to changing threats. “As the JJV continues to expand our international footprint, our partnership with the British Army allows us to collaborate on next-step efforts to support their current and future modernization efforts,” he added.
The trial is the latest in the British Army’s weapons tests of the past year. In West Wales, the service evaluated a new anti-drone weapon that uses radio frequency energy to disable uncrewed aerial systems. It also debuted its new Archer Mobile Howitzer artillery system during NATO Exercise Dynamic Front 25 in Finland.