In the 70s of the last century, the American infantry units of the "company-battalion" link were saturated with Dragon and TOW anti-tank missile systems. ATGM "Dragon" had a record small weight and dimensions for its time, could be transported and used by one person. At the same time, this complex was not popular among the troops due to its low reliability, inconvenience of use and not too high probability of hitting the target. ATGM "Tou" was quite reliable, had good armor penetration and accuracy, did not impose high requirements on the skills of the guidance operator, but it was a stretch to call it "portable". The complex was disassembled into five parts weighing 18-25 kg, which could be carried in special backpacks. Due to the fact that the soldiers also had to carry personal weapons and supplies, carrying the ATGM became a very burdensome task. In this regard, ATGM "Tou" was transportable, it was delivered to the combat position by vehicles, and most often it was mounted on a self-propelled chassis.
If for the army this state of affairs was bearable, then for the marines, which often operate in isolation from the main forces, lines of communication and supply, a relatively cheap compact anti-tank weapon was required with which every Marine could be armed. Suitable for individual wearing and providing safe for personnel use from open firing positions and from enclosed spaces. Separately, the possibility of firing at extremely short distances was stipulated, due to the fact that the existing ATGMs were intended to conduct combat over vast spaces, and use at a distance closer than 65 meters was impossible. In general, as 155-mm laser-guided artillery shells, self-aiming cluster anti-tank munitions for MLRS and aviation weapons, and combat helicopters armed with ATGMs were adopted, the requirements for the range of infantry anti-tank systems decreased. Since the troops had a sufficient number of second-generation guided anti-tank complexes with a semi-automatic guidance system, when creating promising light ATGMs, ease of use and the likelihood of defeat came to the fore. Another important requirement was the removal of restrictions on the use of night sights. The problem was that when installing a night sight, it was not always possible to ensure normal tracking of the rocket after launch and coordinated work with the optical (infrared) coordinator of the ATGM guidance equipment. Finally, the most important requirement for a new light guided anti-tank weapon was to ensure a high probability of hitting the latest Soviet tanks.
In 1987, the Marine Corps, not satisfied with the characteristics of the M47 Dragon ATGM, initiated the SRAW program (Multipurpose Individual Munition / Short-Range Assault Weapon). The new universal single-action anti-tank anti-tank system was also supposed to replace the M72 LAW and M136 / AT4 grenade launchers. As a result, a unique short-range complex FGM-172 SRAW of disposable use with an inertial guidance system was born. When firing from it, the operator did not need to make corrections for the wind, air temperature. The missile, controlled by the autopilot, is automatically held on the aiming line selected during launch. If the target is mobile, the shooter accompanies it with the aiming mark in the mode of entering data into the autopilot for two seconds, after which he launches. During the flight, the autopilot automatically works out the lead angle to the meeting point with the target, taking into account its speed. Thus, at the disposal of the infantry there was an individual high-precision weapon operating on the principle of “fire and forget”. And the process of launching a rocket is even easier than firing a grenade launcher, since there is no need to make corrections for range, target speed and side wind.
The SRAW ATGM guided missile before launch is in a sealed transport and launch container. The TPK has an optical sight with a magnification of × 2, 5, a launch control device, a battery indicator, a shoulder rest and a carrying handle. Also, the AN / PVS-17C night sight can be installed on the quick-release bracket, which, after firing, is dismantled and used on other weapons. The length of the launch tube is 870 mm, the diameter is 213 mm. The mass of the complex without a night sight is 9.8 kg.
The rocket is ejected from the launch tube by the starting engine at a relatively low speed of 25 m / s. Thanks to the "soft start", it is possible to fire from confined spaces. In this case, the distance from the rear plug to the wall should be at least 4, 6 m, and the width of the room at least 3, 7 m. Shooting from closed volumes is carried out in goggles and headphones. The main engine is started at a distance of 5 m from the muzzle. The maximum speed on the trajectory is 300 m / s. The rocket flies a distance of 500 m in 2, 25 s. After launch, the 140-mm rocket rises above the line of sight by 2, 7 m. The warhead weighing 3, 116 kg is made with a funnel that forms an impact core from tantalum, and, in terms of target destruction, is similar to the BGM-71F ATGM used in the TOW 2B ATGM … The warhead is initiated by a combined non-contact target sensor. Which includes a magnetometric sensor that records the magnetic field of the tank, and a laser profiler, located at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the missile, giving the command to detonate the warhead after the missile has flown over the spatial center of the target.
The shock core formed after the explosion of the warhead has a significant damaging effect. It is reported that after piercing the relatively thin upper armor, a hole is obtained that exceeds the diameter of the rocket. In this way, it was possible to solve the problem of hitting modern tanks with high security in frontal projection. As you know, the existing American M136 / AT4 and Carl Gustaf M3 grenade launchers cannot guarantee penetration of the frontal armor of modern Russian tanks.
The method of using the FGM-172 SRAW ATGM is quite simple. To bring the weapon into a firing position, it is necessary to unlock the fuse located on the launch tube. After detecting a target, the operator points the sight mark on it and activates the electric battery of the rocket's automatic navigation device by pressing a button. To lock the target, a time from 2 to 12 s is given. During this time period, it is necessary to launch, otherwise the power battery is discharged, and the launch of the rocket becomes impossible. The starting lever is unlocked after activating the electrical circuitry and grabbing, and it is possible to fire.
Unlike the light M47 Dragon ATGM, which is fired in a sitting position with support on the bipod, fire from the FGM-172 SRAW can be fired in the same way as from the M136 / AT4 grenade launcher. Transporting SRAWs is no different from disposable grenade launchers.
Initially, the SRAW anti-tank complex was developed by Loral Aeronutronic, but later all production rights were transferred to the aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. During the tests, which began in 1989, missiles with an inert warhead were launched at a distance of up to 700 m at tanks moving at a speed of up to 40 km / h. The test results were encouraging, the army leadership preferred to purchase improved AT4 grenade launchers and expressed interest in the reusable Swedish Carl Gustaf M3 rifled grenade launcher.
During the revision of the ATGM, the number of individual parts of the rocket was significantly reduced from more than 1,500 to 300. As a result, the reliability increased and the cost slightly decreased. At the end of 1994, the US ILC signed a contract for the development and testing of anti-tank systems, shortly after that Loral Aeronutronic was absorbed by Lockheed Martin. In 1997, military tests of the complex, known under the army designation FGM-172 SRAW, began; in the Marine Corps, it received the MK 40 MOD 0 index and the unofficial name Predator. Serial complexes have been delivered to the troops since 2002. It was originally planned that the cost of a one-time anti-tank system would not exceed $ 10,000, but apparently, it was not possible to keep within the given parameter. The fate of the FGM-172 SRAW, conceived at the height of the Cold War, was negatively impacted by cuts in defense spending as the risk of an armed conflict between NATO and Russia was minimized. The FGM-172 SRAW ATGM was supposed to replace single-use grenade launchers in the troops, and theoretically it could be at the disposal of every soldier. However, the high cost and the landslide reduction in the fleet of Russian armored vehicles led to the fact that in 2005 the serial production of one-time anti-tank systems was stopped. According to the released data, the USMC received approximately 1,000 single-use guided missile launchers. Simultaneously with the start of deliveries of combat FGM-172 SRAWs, the troops received training simulators with laser sensors and memory units that record the process of aiming and firing.
Information about the current status of the FGM-172 SRAW is rather contradictory. As of 2017, the light anti-tank complex was not included in the list of current weapons of the Marine Corps. Apparently, due to the minimal risk of direct collision with enemy armored vehicles, the command of the Marines preferred to have relatively inexpensive and versatile disposable and reusable grenade launchers in the squad-platoon link, albeit with a lower probability of hitting mobile armored targets. Starting from the company level and above, the use of the FGM-148 Javelin ATGM is envisaged as a modern anti-tank weapon. At the same time, a number of sources say that the remaining SRAWs within the MPV program (Multi-Purpose Variant - universal version) have been converted into the FGM-172В assault weapon, designed to destroy field fortifications and defeat light armored vehicles. An adaptive fuse produced an instant detonation of the warhead in the event of a meeting with concrete, brickwork or armor, and slowed down when it hit an earthen embankment or sandbags. The missile, equipped with an armor-piercing high-explosive warhead, became relevant after American troops got bogged down in hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq. Apparently, at the present time all the stocks of the "anti-bunker" FGM-172B have already been used up.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the American army considered the acquisition of assault missiles with a tandem cumulative fragmentation warhead, designed to penetrate half a meter of reinforced concrete. After the leading shaped charge pierced the obstacle, a fragmentation grenade flew into the hole formed and hit the enemy's manpower that had taken refuge. Tests of the variant with a tandem warhead were successful, but due to the high cost of the guided missile, the army command preferred to purchase disposable M141 SMAW-D assault rocket-propelled grenades and reusable universal M3 MAAWS with a wide range of ammunition.
Soon after the adoption of the light anti-tank complex M47 Dragon, the military demanded to increase its characteristics. Already in 1978, the US Army command formulated a technical justification for the need for a new ATGM system outlining the systematized shortcomings of the Dragon ATGM system, among which they indicated: unreliability, low probability of hitting a target, low armor penetration, and the difficulty of targeting a missile after launch. An attempt to create a modernized Dragon II made in the mid-80s did not lead to the desired result, since, despite a slight increase in the probability of hitting, it was not possible to get rid of most of the shortcomings of the original version. The fact that the Dragon ATGM does not suit the army and the marines in terms of reliability and efficiency was not a secret for the management of companies in the American military-industrial complex. Therefore, on an initiative basis and within the framework of the Tank Breaker program, announced in 1978 by the Agency for Advanced Defense Research and Development and the US Army Missile Forces Directorate, projects of advanced anti-tank systems were developed.
According to the views of the American military, a light ATGM of the new generation was supposed to weigh no more than 15.8 kg in a combat position, be launched from the shoulder, effectively combat modern Soviet main tanks equipped with reactive armor, and be used by the operator in the “fire and forget” mode. It was assumed that in order to ensure the defeat of highly protected targets, the attack of armored vehicles would be carried out from above, with a penetration of the relatively thin upper armor.
Hughes Aircraft and Texas Instruments advanced the furthest in the creation of new ATGMs. Tests of prototypes of ATGM took place in 1984. However, the creation of small-sized guided missiles with a guidance system capable of steadily tracking and highlighting moving armored targets after launch against the background of the terrain, regardless of the operator, turned out to be impossible in the 1980s. Nevertheless, work in this direction was continued, and in 1985 the AAWS-M (Advanced Antitank Weapon System Medium) program was launched. Within the framework of this program, it was envisaged to create a single complex of controlled anti-tank weapons, which was supposed to replace the light ATGM "Dragon" and heavy "Tou".
The work progressed with great difficulty and was carried out in several stages. In fact, after each stage, the program was on the verge of stopping, since a significant part of the army leadership, responsible for rearmament and logistics, resisted the introduction of advanced, but very costly achievements of modern compact electronics. The generals, whose career began during the Korean War, believed that heavy artillery and bombers were the best anti-tank weapons. As a result, the AAWS-M program was suspended and resumed several times.
Even at the stage of competitive selection, the Striker ATGM, presented by Raytheon Missile Systems, was eliminated. The Stryker rocket was launched from a disposable launch tube, on which a removable set of infrared television sighting equipment was attached, and was aimed at the target's thermal signature. After the launch, the rocket made a hill and dived onto the tank from above. The armor was penetrated by a cumulative warhead as a result of a direct hit. If necessary, "Stryker" could be used against low-altitude subsonic air targets. The trajectory of the flight was chosen by the shooter before launch, depending on the type of target to be fired; for this, the trigger was equipped with an appropriate firing mode switch. When firing at stationary targets that do not emit heat, guidance took place in a semi-automatic mode. The target image was captured by the operator independently, after which the missile seeker memorized the given spatial position of the target. The mass of the complex in the firing position is 15, 9 kg. The launch range is about 2000 m. The rejection of the Striker universal ATGM was associated with its high cost, short launch range and low noise immunity.
As part of the EFOGM (Enhanced Fiber Optic Guided Missile) complex from Hughes Aircraft, a fiber-optic guided missile was used. In the nose compartment of the ATGM, which had much in common with the BGM-71D, there was a television camera, with the help of which the image from the flying missile was transmitted via a fiber-optic cable to the screen of the guidance operator. From the very beginning, the EFOGM ATGM had a dual purpose and had to fight tanks and combat helicopters. The tanks were to attack from above, in the least protected areas. The rocket was controlled by the operator using a joystick. Due to manual control and due to excessive weight and dimensions, the military rejected this complex. In the mid-90s, interest in the project revived. The YMGM-157B missile, equipped with a combined head with television and thermal imaging channels, had a launch range of more than 10 km. However, the ATGM ceased to be portable, received a multi-charge launcher and all its elements were placed on a self-propelled chassis. In total, more than 300 missiles were built for testing, but the complex never entered service.
While American military-industrial companies were perfecting high-tech anti-tank missiles and control equipment, the army leadership sent out invitations to foreign partners to take part in the competition. European manufacturers presented much more primitive, but at the same time much cheaper samples. Foreign companies took part in the competition: the French Aérospatiale and the German Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm with their Milan 2 and the Swedish Bofors Defense with the RBS 56 BILL ATGM.
One of the favorites of the competition, due to the record low cost and acceptable weight and dimensions, was the PAL BB 77 ATGM, which was a Dragon ATGM modernized in Switzerland. This complex was very cheap, did not require the launch of new production lines and complete retraining of personnel.
However, the second generation ATGM with a semi-automatic guidance system and wire-guided missiles, despite some advantages over the existing TOW and Dragon ATGMs, could not be considered promising. As a temporary measure, in 1992, it was decided to adopt the modernized Dragon 2 ATGM and continue to improve the TOW-2.
According to the test results, the requirements for a promising light ATGM were clarified. Along with the high survivability of the crew on the battlefield, among the main priorities was the ability to guarantee the defeat of modern Soviet tanks. Also, there were requirements for a "soft" launch and the possibility of using the equipment of the command-launch unit for day-to-day observation of the field and solving reconnaissance tasks.
After a long process of fine-tuning, the TopKick LBR ATGM (Top Kick Laser Beam Rider) from Ford Aerospace and General Dynamics reached the final of the competition. This complex evolved from the SABER (Stinger Alternate Beam Rider) laser-guided MANPADS (Stinger Alternate Beam Rider).
A relatively simple and inexpensive missile, guided by the "laser trail" method, hit the target from above when detonating a double warhead with the formation of a "shock core". The advantages of the TopKick LBR were the relatively low cost, ease of use, ergonomics and high flight speed of the ATGM, inherited from the MANPADS. ATGM weight in firing position - 20, 2 kg. Sighting launch range - more than 3000 m. ATGM TopKick LBR had great potential for development and for a long time was the main contender for victory in the AAWS-M program.
However, the complex with laser-beam guidance could hit targets only in the line of sight, while the ATGM operator had to continuously hold the object in the sight. Critics pointed out that laser radiation is a unmasking factor and systems with high accuracy can be installed on modern tanks, determining the direction to the radiation source and automatically orienting weapons in that direction. In addition, the standard countermeasure when a tank is irradiated with a laser is the shooting of smoke grenades and the setting of an impenetrable curtain for coherent radiation.
As a result, the winner of the competition was the ATGM, created by Texas Instruments, which later received the designation FGM-148 Javelin (English Javelin - throwing javelin, dart), until it was put into service, it was known as TI AAWS-M. The first serial ATGM of the 3rd generation operates in the “fire and forget” mode and is closest to the views of the American military on what a modern light anti-tank complex should be.
After the official registration of the decision to accept the FGM-148 Javelin into service in 1996, Texas Instruments was unable to fulfill its obligations, ensure adequate quality and confirm the characteristics of the ATGM demonstrated during testing. This happened due to the difficult financial situation and imperfect production base of the company. The competitors who lost the competition, but had the best financial capabilities, did their best to "bite off a piece of the pie" from the billion-dollar military order. As a result of intrigue and lobbying, Texas Instruments' missile business was taken over by Raytheon, which could afford large-scale capital investments and buy out everything related to the production of Javelin ATGMs, including the entire staff of engineers and technicians. At the same time, Raytheon's own developments were used and significant changes were made to the design of the control and launch unit.
The FGM-148 Javelin ATGM uses a cooled infrared homing head equipped with a dual-mode fuse with contact and non-contact target sensors.
The defeat of enemy armored vehicles is possible in a direct collision with a target or when a powerful cumulative tandem warhead is detonated at a low altitude above it. Prior to launch, the ATGM operator in the viewing mode through the channel of the homing head with the help of the sight frame adjustable in height and width, captures the target. The position of the target in the frame is used by the guidance system to generate control signals to the steering surfaces. The gyroscopic system orients the seeker to the target and excludes the possibility of going beyond the field of view. The rocket seeker uses optics based on zinc sulfide that are transparent to infrared radiation with a wavelength of up to 12 microns and a processor operating at a frequency of 3.2 MHz. According to information provided on the official website of Lockheed Martin, the probability of a target being captured in the absence of interference is 94%. Shooting images from the seeker ATGM occurs at a speed of 180 frames per second.
During the acquisition and tracking process, an algorithm based on correlation analysis using a constantly updated target template is used to automatically recognize the target and maintain contact with it. It is reported that target recognition is possible in conditions typical for the battlefield, in the presence of separate foci of fires and smoke screens, organized by standard means available on armored vehicles. However, in this case, the probability of capture can be reduced to 30%.
The flight trajectory of the Javelin ATGM is designed in such a way as to avoid the destruction of the striking elements of the Drozd active protection complex by fragments. In the late 80s, information about this Soviet KAZ was received by American intelligence and was taken into account when creating promising anti-tank systems.
To increase the likelihood of hitting modern tanks, the attack is carried out from the least protected direction - from above. In this case, the angle of flight of the rocket relative to the horizon can vary from 0 ° to 40 °. When firing at the maximum range, the missile rises to a height of 160 m. According to the manufacturer's statement, the armor penetration of a warhead weighing 8, 4 kg is 800 mm behind ERA. However, a number of researchers indicate that in reality, the thickness of the penetrated homogeneous armor can be about 200 mm less. However, in the case of hitting the target from above, it does not really matter. Thus, the thickness of the armor of the turret roof of the most common Russian T-72 tank is 40 mm.
Doubts about the real armor penetration of the Javelin ATGM are associated with the fact that the missile has a relatively small caliber - 127 mm. The length of the cumulative jet, formed when the warhead is detonated, directly depends on the diameter of the cumulative funnel and, as a rule, does not exceed four times the caliber of the ATGM. The thickness of the penetrated armor also strongly depends on the material from which the cumulative funnel lining is made. In Javelin, molybdenum cladding, which is 30% denser than iron, is used only in a precharge intended for breaking through ERA plates. The cladding of the main charge is made of copper, which is only 10% denser than iron. In 2013, a missile was tested with a "universal warhead", with a main shaped charge lined with molybdenum. Thanks to this, it was possible to slightly increase the armor penetration. Also, a fragmentation shirt is placed around the main charge, creating twice the fragmentation field.
Since we touched on cumulative warheads, I want to dispel the myths associated with them. In the comments to previous publications devoted to American infantry anti-tank weapons, a number of readers, among the damaging factors of the shaped charge affecting the tank's crew when the armor is pierced, mentioned a shock wave that allegedly forms high pressure inside the combat vehicle, which leads to the shock of the entire crew and deprives it of its combat effectiveness. In practice, this happens when a cumulative ammunition enters a vehicle with light bulletproof protection. Thin armor simply breaks through as a result of an explosion of a charge with a capacity of several kilograms of TNT. The same result can be obtained when hit by a high-explosive fragmentation ammunition of similar power. When exposed to thick tank armor, the defeat of a protected target is achieved by the action of a cumulative jet of small diameter formed by the lining material of the cumulative funnel. The cumulative jet creates a pressure of several tons per square centimeter, which is many times higher than the yield point of metals and pushes a small hole in the armor. The explosion of the shaped charge occurs at a certain distance to the armor, and the final formation of the jet and its introduction into the armor is carried out after the dispersion of the shock wave. Thus, excess pressure and temperature cannot penetrate through the small hole and are significant damaging factors. During field tests of cumulative warheads, the measuring instruments placed inside the tanks did not record a significant jump in pressure and temperature after piercing the armor with a cumulative jet, which could have a significant effect on the crew. The main damaging factors of the shaped charge are detachable fragments of armor and incandescent drops of the shaped charge. If fragments of armor and drops hit the ammunition and fuels and lubricants inside the tank, their detonation and ignition is possible. If the cumulative jet and fragments of armor do not hit people, fire-explosive filling and critical equipment of the tank, then penetrating the armor with a shaped charge may not disable the combat vehicle. And in this respect, the Javelin cumulative warhead is no different from other ATGMs.
Javelin anti-tank missiles are delivered to the troops in sealed transport and launch containers made of carbon fiber impregnated with epoxy resin, connected to the command and launch unit with an electrical connector before launch. The shelf life of a rocket in a container is 10 years. A cylinder with a cooling gas and a disposable battery are attached to the TPK. Cooling of the GOS can be carried out within 10 s. The operating time of the electric battery is at least 4 minutes. If the refrigerant cylinder is used up and the resource of the power supply element is exhausted, they must be replaced.
The mass of the ready-to-use shot of the FGM-148 Block 1 modification is 15, 5 kg. Rocket weight - 10, 128 kg, length - 1083 mm. The mass of the complex in the firing position is 22, 3 kg. The maximum launch range is 2500 m, the minimum when firing along a flat trajectory is 75 m. When attacking from above, the minimum launch range is 150 meters. The flight time of the ATGM in the attack mode from above, when firing at the maximum range - 19 s. The maximum flight speed of the rocket is -190 m / s.
The command-launch unit is made of light alloy with a frame made of impact-resistant foam. It weighs 6, 8 kg and has its own lithium battery independent of the ATGM. A 4x optical sight with viewing angles of 6, 4x4, 8 ° is intended for aiming at a target during daylight hours. The day sight is a telescopic optical system and allows preliminary search for targets when the power is off.
To transfer the ATGM from the stowed position to the combat position, the transport and launch container with the rocket is docked with the control launch unit. After that, the end cover of the TPK is removed, the power supply of the complex is started and the GOS is cooled. To bring the complex into the target acquisition mode, it is necessary to turn on the all-day thermal imaging channel with a resolution of 240x480. In working condition, the matrix of the thermal imager is cooled by a small-sized cooler based on the Joule-Thomson effect. Since 2013, a new modification of the KBP has been delivered, in which the optical daytime channel has been replaced with a 5 Mpx camera, a GPS receiver and a laser rangefinder have also been installed, a built-in radio station has been added for exchanging data on the coordinates of the target and improving the interaction between ATGM calculations. The Javelin is carried and maintained by two members of the combat crew - the gunner-operator and the ammunition carrier. If necessary, the KBP with the attached ATGM can be transported over a short distance and used by one person.
As already mentioned, the FGM-148 Javelin was primarily developed to replace the ATGM with the M47 Dragon semi-automatic guidance system. Compared to the Dragon ATGM system, the Javelin complex has a number of significant advantages. Unlike the Dragon complex, which is fired mainly in a sitting position with support on the bipod, which is not always convenient, the Javelin rocket can be launched from any position: sitting, kneeling, standing and lying down. At the same time, it is noted that for a stable fixation of the complex during target acquisition when firing while standing, the ATGM operator must be strong enough. During starting from a prone position, the shooter must pay attention to the fact that his feet do not get under the exhaust of the starting engine. Thanks to the "fire-and-forget" mode, the operator, after launching the missile, has the opportunity to immediately leave the combat position, which increases the combat survivability of the crew and allows immediate reloading. The missile guidance system for the thermal portrait of the target eliminates the need for active illumination and target tracking. The use of a starter engine with a soft start system and a low-smoke sustainer engine complicates the detection of a launch or missile in flight. A "soft" missile launch reduces the danger zone behind the launch tube and allows launching from confined spaces. After the launch of the rocket from the TPK, the main engine is launched at a safe distance for calculation. The failure of the calculation or control unit after the launch of the missile does not affect the probability of its hitting the target.
Due to the use of a powerful tandem warhead and a target attack mode from above, the Javelin has increased efficiency and can be successfully used against the most modern armored vehicles. The range of action "Javelin" is approximately 2.5 times greater than the ATGM "Dragon". An additional task of the calculations of the FGM-148 Javelin ATGM is to combat helicopter gunships. The presence of advanced standard means of target search makes it possible to detect targets in adverse weather conditions and at night. If necessary, the command-launch unit without ATGM can be used as a means of reconnaissance and surveillance.
The relatively small mass and dimensions make the complex really portable and make it possible, if necessary, to use it by one shooter, and to use it in the squad-platoon link. Each rifle squad of US Army mechanized infantry can have one ATGM, and in infantry brigades, the Javelin is used at the platoon level.
The baptism of fire FGM-148 Javelin took place after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Although in control military tests in field conditions, as a result of 32 launches, it was possible to hit 31 targets and hit 94% of launches, in a combat situation the effectiveness of the complex turned out to be lower, which was primarily due to temperature changes in the landscape and the inability of operators to detect the target in time. At the same time, based on the results of combat use, it was concluded that the presence of the Javelin ATGM in the relatively small and lightly armed strike and reconnaissance groups allows them to successfully resist the enemy who has armored vehicles at their disposal. An example is the battle in northern Iraq that took place on April 6, 2003. On that day, a mobile American group of the 173rd Airborne Brigade of about 100 people, moving in HMMWV vehicles, tried to find a gap in the positions of the 4th Iraqi Infantry Division. On the way to the Debacka Pass, the Americans were fired upon, and Iraqi armored vehicles began to move in their direction. During the battle, launching 19 Javelin ATGMs, it was possible to destroy 14 targets. Including two T-55 tanks, eight MT-LB armored tractors and four army trucks. However, the Americans themselves had to retreat after the start of the artillery shelling, and the turning point in the battle came after the aircraft had worked on the Iraqi positions. At the same time, part of the American forces and friendly Kurds came under attack from their own bombers.
However, like any other weapon, the FGM-148 Javelin is not without flaws, which, as you know, are a continuation of the merits. The use of a thermal imaging sight and IR-GOS imposes a number of restrictions. The quality of the image displayed from a thermal imager can deteriorate greatly in conditions of high dustiness, smoke, during precipitation and fog. Sensitivity to organized interference in the IR range and measures to reduce thermal signature or distort the thermal portrait of the target. The effectiveness of the Javelin ATGM is significantly reduced when using smoke grenades. The use of modern aerosols with metal particles makes it possible to completely block the capabilities of the thermal imager. Based on the experience of the combat use of ATGMs in desert areas, at dawn and at dusk, when the temperature of the surrounding area is changing rapidly, conditions may exist when target acquisition is extremely difficult due to the lack of temperature contrast. Foreign sources indicate that based on the statistics of the use of the FGM-148 Javelin in hostilities, the effectiveness of the launches ranged from 50 to 75%.
Although the complex is considered portable, its transportation in a combat position with a container with a missile and a control and launch unit connected together over long distances is impossible. The docking of the ATGM and the CPB is carried out immediately before the use of the ATGM on the battlefield. For the thermal imager of the control and launch unit to enter the operating mode, it must be in the on state for about 2 minutes. Before starting the ATGM, the GOS should be cooled. When the cooling is constantly on and the compressed gas is consumed, the cylinder must be replaced and the GOS recooled. This greatly limits the ability to fire at suddenly appeared targets and gives them the opportunity to hide behind the terrain or buildings. After the launch, the ATGM flight trajectory cannot be corrected. Although there is a theoretical possibility of dealing with low-altitude and low-speed air targets, special missiles with a remote detonation sensor for Javelin do not exist, therefore only a direct hit is required to defeat UAVs or helicopters. The latest versions of the FGM-148 Javelin complex are equipped with a laser rangefinder, which, according to the developers' idea, should increase the efficiency of use. However, modern tanks are routinely equipped with laser radiation sensors, according to the signals of which smoke grenades are automatically fired and the coordinates of the radiation source are determined. The Javelin ATGM is also criticized for its relatively short launch range, which is one of the main reasons for the Tou ATGM to remain in service in the US. And, probably, the main drawback is the prohibitive cost of the complex. In 2014, the price of one Javelin ATGM purchased by the army was $ 160,000, and the control unit costs about the same. By the beginning of 2016, the US Army had acquired 28,261 missiles and 7,771 command-launch units. It is worth recalling that the price of a fully combat-ready T-55 or T-62 tank in the basic configuration on the world arms market is $ 100-150 thousand. Thus, the cost of the Javelin complex may be 2-3 times higher than the cost of the target it destroys. Since the start of development, more than $ 5 billion has been spent on the creation and production of the Javelin ATGM. Nevertheless, the production of ATGM continues. As of the end of 2015, the US Army and Marine Corps have purchased more than 8,000 missile launchers and over 30,000 missiles. Since 2002, 1442 CPB and 8271 ATGMs have been exported.
The complex is being improved in the direction of improving the sensitivity and noise immunity of the missile seeker and the thermal imager of the control and launch unit, increasing the reliability and armor penetration. There is information that in 2015, a missile was tested with a launch range of up to 4750 m. Also, a universal missile with a dual-mode proximity fuse can be created for the Javelin complex, which will increase the likelihood of hitting air targets.
