Infantry Weapons

FGM-148 Javelin

Also known as
  • Javelin
  • FGM-148
  • Javelin Weapon System
  • AAWS-M
  • Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium
  • Javelin Close Combat Missile System

The FGM-148 Javelin is an American fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile system built around a reusable command launch unit and a disposable missile tube. Developed from the Army's AAWS-M / Tank Breaker lineage, it entered U.S. service in 1996 and remains notable for top-attack and direct-fire modes, an imaging-infrared seeker, vehicle-launch integration, and documented combat use from Iraq and Afghanistan to Ukraine.

FGM-148 Javelin, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons
Image source: FGM-148 Javelin image, U.S. Army release 061024-A-0497K-004

Role in Conflicts

2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Anti-Armor

Supplied to Ukrainian infantry as a portable fire-and-forget anti-armor weapon; U.S. Army analysis describes mobile Ukrainian soldiers using Javelins against Russian tanks and mechanized vehicles during the full-scale invasion.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system
Service note
1996-present
Designer
Texas Instruments / Martin Marietta
Designed
1989
Produced
1996-present
Number built
More than 45,000 missiles and 12,000 command launch units reported by the Javelin Joint Venture in 2019
Developed from
AAWS-M / DARPA Tank Breaker program

Specifications

Crew
1-2 operators
Length
Missile about 1.2 m; launch tube about 119.8 cm; missile diameter 127 mm
Weight
Launch weight about 22.1 kg; current product card lists 11.8 kg missile, 7.0 kg CLU, and 15.5 kg round
Range
CSIS lists 2.5 km, or 4.5 km with Lightweight CLU; Lockheed Martin lists 65 m to 4 km in most operational conditions
Warhead
8.4 kg tandem-charge HEAT warhead with top-attack or direct-attack profiles
Seeker
Passive imaging infrared seeker with lock-on before launch and autonomous fire-and-forget guidance
CLU sights
4x day sight and 4x or 12x thermal sight on the current Lockheed Martin product card
Attack profiles
Top-attack and direct-attack modes
Launcher modernization
LWCLU is reported as 30% smaller and 25% lighter than the legacy CLU, with twice the target detection and recognition range
Launcher And Missile Architecture

Javelin is best read as a weapon system rather than a single missile round: the reusable command launch unit finds and locks targets, while the disposable launch tube assembly carries the missile.

ElementFunctionReader note
Command launch unitReusable sight and launcher interfaceThe CLU gives the gunner day, night, and surveillance capability before firing.
Launch tube assemblyDisposable missile containerThe tube protects the missile before firing and is attached to the CLU for launch.
Missile roundFire-and-forget guided munitionThe imaging-infrared seeker locks before launch, allowing the operator to move after firing.
Lightweight CLUModernized launcherThe LWCLU is designed to replace the legacy CLU while staying compatible with current, past, and future Javelin missile variants.

Supported by: Raytheon Javelin Weapon System; Javelin; First Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units delivered to the U.S. Army.

Variants

Javelin designations cover missile rounds, reusable launch units, and block upgrades rather than a single vehicle-like model line.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
FGM-148AInitial production missile

CSIS identifies the A-model as the original low-rate initial production model introduced in 1996.

Sources: FGM-148 Javelin

Block 1 / FGM-148EMidlife missile and CLU upgrade path

Block 1 entered production in 2006; CSIS identifies the later E-model as the Spiral 1 production designation.

Sources: FGM-148 Javelin

FGM-148FMultipurpose warhead missile

The F-model replaced the FGM-148E Block I in initial full-rate production and adds an advanced multipurpose warhead with a fragmenting steel case for soft targets and light armor.

Sources: Raytheon/Lockheed Martin F-Model Missile Contract

FGM-148GDevelopmental missile modernization

DOT&E describes the G-model as a separate modernization effort with a new launch tube assembly, electronic battery unit, guidance electronics unit, and seeker; production missiles will be designated FGM-148G after successful qualification.

Sources: Javelin Antitank Missile System - Medium FY2025

Lightweight Command Launch UnitNext-generation launcher

The LWCLU replaces the legacy CLU, remains compatible with current, past, and future Javelin missile variants, and reduces launcher size and weight while improving detection and recognition range.

Sources: First Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units delivered to the U.S. Army

Vehicle Launch Platforms

The baseline Javelin is shoulder-fired, but Army reporting documents CROWS-J integration that lets crews fire FGM-148 missiles from inside Stryker vehicles.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
Stryker, 8x8 armored fighting vehicle family, Armored VehiclesStryker8x8 armored vehicle family

U.S. Army reporting says the CROWS-J system allows Soldiers to fire the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile from within a Stryker, including the first Brigade Combat Team live firing of FGM-148 through CROWS-J outside testing.

Sources: Stryker Brigade Combat Team equips modernized missile system

Timeline

FGM-148 Javelin Key Events

  1. Full-scale development approved

    The Army's Tank Breaker / AAWS-M effort moved into full-scale development in 1989, with the Texas Instruments solution later becoming Javelin.

    Sources: Javelin Close Combat Missile System (CCMS) Provides Unparalleled Defeat Capabilities

  2. Initial U.S. fielding

    CSIS reports that Javelin entered U.S. military service in 1996 after limited user trials and initial fielding.

    Sources: FGM-148 Javelin

  3. Combat debut in Iraq

    An Army AL&T article describes Javelin use by the 3rd Infantry Division after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where it proved effective against armored forces and fortified positions.

    Sources: Javelin Close Combat Missile System (CCMS) Provides Unparalleled Defeat Capabilities

  4. First delivery to Ukraine confirmed

    A U.S. State Department official confirmed that Javelin anti-tank missile systems had been delivered to Ukraine during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.

    Sources: U.S. Confirms Delivery Of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine

  5. F-model full-rate production contract

    The Javelin Joint Venture announced an initial full-rate production contract for 2,100 FGM-148F missiles, replacing the FGM-148E Block I round.

    Sources: Raytheon/Lockheed Martin F-Model Missile Contract

  6. Prominent in Ukraine

    CSIS documented extensive Ukrainian use of Javelin during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, where it became one of the conflict's defining infantry anti-armor weapons.

    Sources: FGM-148 Javelin

  7. LWCLU delivery announced

    RTX announced that the Javelin Joint Venture delivered the first Lightweight Command Launch Units to the U.S. Army.

    Sources: First Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units delivered to the U.S. Army

Media

FGM-148 Javelin Videos

FGM-148 Javelin Images

FGM-148 Javelin, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: FGM-148 Javelin image, U.S. Marine Corps release 030502-M-3692C-023
FGM-148 Javelin, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: FGM-148 Javelin missile launch
Related Weapon Systems
Bofors BILL anti-tank guided missile, Overfly top-attack anti-tank guided missile, MunitionsMunitionsBofors BILL anti-tank guided missileOverfly top-attack anti-tank guided missileBofors BILL is a Swedish wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family built around an overfly top-attack flight path, allowing the warhead to strike armor from above rather than through frontal armor. Bofors developed the original RBS 56 BILL after a 1979 order, Saab describes BILL 2 as the later dual-warhead upgrade, and open-source transfer tracking documents Swedish RBS-56 BILL missiles delivered or pledged to Ukraine before March 2023.
9K115 Metis, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry WeaponsInfantry Weapons9K115 MetisMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K115 Metis is a Soviet/Russian man-portable, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family developed for company-level infantry anti-armor fire. The original AT-7 Saxhorn used a lightweight launcher and 94 mm missile for short-range engagements, while the Metis-M and Metis-M1 upgrades moved to larger 130 mm missiles with tandem HEAT and thermobaric options. Its documented conflict use spans Russian and Ukrainian Metis-M fielding in Ukraine, Houthi use in Yemen, Syrian rebel use, and Hezbollah's anti-tank missile threat in the 2006 Lebanon War.
BGM-71 TOW, Heavy anti-tank guided missile, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsBGM-71 TOWHeavy anti-tank guided missileThe BGM-71 TOW is a U.S. heavy anti-tank guided missile built around tube launch, optical tracking, and command guidance through a wire or later radio-frequency link. Developed by Hughes and now produced and upgraded by Raytheon, the family spans dismounted launchers, HMMWVs, Bradley and Stryker vehicles, light armored vehicles, and helicopters. Its record runs from helicopter launches in the Vietnam War through Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Ukrainian service or transfer evidence.
M136 AT4, Disposable shoulder-fired light anti-armor recoilless weapon, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsM136 AT4Disposable shoulder-fired light anti-armor recoilless weaponThe M136 AT4 is the U.S. designation for an Americanized Saab AT4, a single-shot 84 mm shoulder-fired anti-armor weapon issued as a disposable launch tube. It gives infantry a lightweight close-range option against light armor, bunkers, gun positions, and buildings, while the wider AT4CS family adds confined-space variants for different target effects. Ukraine has received AT-4 systems through U.S. security assistance during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
GBU-15 Guided Bomb Unit, Air-to-surface guided glide bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-15 Guided Bomb UnitAir-to-surface guided glide bombThe GBU-15 Guided Bomb Unit is a U.S. electro-optical glide bomb built around a 2,000-pound Mk 84 or BLU-109 bomb body, with television or imaging-infrared guidance and a man-in-the-loop data link. U.S. Air Force, museum, and Air University sources document F-111F use in Desert Storm, F-15E drops during Operation Deliberate Force, enhanced GPS/INS-equipped GBU-15 combat employment in Operation Enduring Freedom, and current deployment only from the F-15E Strike Eagle.
M142 HIMARS, Wheeled multiple rocket launcher and tactical missile launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryM142 HIMARSWheeled multiple rocket launcher and tactical missile launcherThe M142 HIMARS is a U.S.-built wheeled rocket and tactical missile launcher produced by Lockheed Martin for mobile precision fires. It carries one six-rocket pod, two PrSM missiles, or one ATACMS missile, uses a five-ton truck chassis with an armored cab, and can deploy by C-130-class airlift. Lockheed Martin reported the 750th launcher delivery in November 2025, while its combat record spans U.S. operations and Ukrainian long-range fires against Russian forces.

Sources

FGM-148 JavelinPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports general background, specifications, in-service status, operator context, manufacturer context, and Javelin development history. | Accessed: 2026-06-23JavelinPublisher: U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal Historical Information | Note: Supports the Javelin system's reusable CLU, disposable launch tube, fire-and-forget guidance, and top-attack/direct-fire behavior. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Tank Breaker/JavelinPublisher: DARPA | Note: Supports Tank Breaker origin history and the AAWS-M development path that led to Javelin. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Javelin readiness rate tops in the Department of DefensePublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports Javelin system background, manufacturer partnership context, and operational readiness status. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Raytheon Javelin Weapon SystemPublisher: RTX / Raytheon | Note: Supports Javelin system architecture, fire-and-forget/top-attack behavior, manufacturer context, inventory-to-2050 statement, and direct use in 2003 Iraq War and 2001 War in Afghanistan through Raytheon's statement that Javelin has been used in more than 5,000 Iraq and Afghanistan engagements. | Accessed: 2026-07-06First Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units delivered to the U.S. ArmyPublisher: RTX | Note: Supports the Lightweight Command Launch Unit delivery milestone, launcher modernization claims, and compatibility with current, past, and future Javelin missile variants. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Raytheon/Lockheed Martin F-Model Missile ContractPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports F-model initial full-rate production, 2,100-missile contract context, replacement of the FGM-148E Block I round, multipurpose warhead background, production-count context, manufacturer context, and direct use in 2003 Iraq War and 2001 War in Afghanistan through Lockheed Martin's statement that Javelin had been used in Iraq and Afghanistan. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Javelin Antitank Missile System - Medium FY2025Publisher: Director, Operational Test and Evaluation | Note: Supports Javelin modernization context for the G-model missile and Lightweight Command Launch Unit, including compatibility, G-model development status, planned FGM-148G designation, and updated testing context. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Lockheed Martin Javelin Product CardPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports current product-card specifications for range, CLU sights, guidance, warhead, component weights, length, diameter, and manufacturer background. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Stryker Brigade Combat Team equips modernized missile systemPublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports the Javelin relationship with Stryker through CROWS-J, including Army reporting that the system lets Soldiers fire the FGM-148 from within a Stryker vehicle. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Javelin Close Combat Missile System (CCMS) Provides Unparalleled Defeat CapabilitiesPublisher: Army AL&T | Note: Supports Javelin's 1989 development contract and direct 2003 Iraq War use by U.S. forces against armored forces and fortified positions after the 2003 invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-23FGM-148 Javelin image, U.S. Army release 061024-A-0497K-004Publisher: Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Army | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for the primary Javelin image. | Accessed: 2026-06-23FGM-148 Javelin missile launchPublisher: Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Marine Corps | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for the missile-launch gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-23FGM-148 Javelin image, U.S. Marine Corps release 030502-M-3692C-023Publisher: Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Marine Corps | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for a second gallery Javelin image released by the U.S. Marine Corps. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Fact Sheet on U.S. Security Assistance to UkrainePublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War military aid context for Javelin systems supplied to Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-23The More Things Change ... Russia's War in Ukraine Mirrors the Past as Much as It Shows the FuturePublisher: Army University Press | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War battlefield role context for Ukrainian Javelin use against Russian armored and mechanized forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-23U.S. Confirms Delivery Of Javelin Antitank Missiles To UkrainePublisher: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct transfer context by reporting U.S. confirmation that Javelin anti-tank missile systems had been delivered to Ukraine on April 30, 2018. | Accessed: 2026-07-06TOW System Upgrade Goes To Troops In AfghanistanPublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports direct 2001 War in Afghanistan use by noting Javelin's increased usage against emerging asymmetric threats in Afghanistan. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Brave Rifles fire JavelinPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct use by anti-ISIS coalition forces: Javelin live fire by U.S. 3rd Cavalry Regiment troopers in Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Coalition supports SDF fight against ISISPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct use by anti-ISIS coalition forces: a U.S. Special Forces soldier used a Javelin CLU to spot ISIS targets in Syria while assisting SDF artillery and mortar fire during Operation Roundup. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Javelin Antitank Missiles Found in LibyaPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports 2014 Second Libyan Civil War conflict-presence context for Javelin missiles found at a captured compound near Tripoli in 2019. | Accessed: 2026-06-29US Missiles Found in Libya Compound Belonged to FrancePublisher: Associated Press / Courthouse News Service | Note: Supports 2014 Second Libyan Civil War capture and provenance context for French-owned Javelin missiles found by pro-GNA forces in an LNA-linked compound. | Accessed: 2026-06-29