The Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Javelin Joint Venture was awarded a production contract for 2,100 Javelin-F model missiles, marking the initial full-rate production agreement to replace the Javelin FGM-148E, Lockheed said on Wednesday, January 30.

“The Javelin Joint Venture was awarded a production contract for 2,100 F-Model (FGM-148F) missiles, following a successful and rigorous system qualification test program that included 21 successful flight tests,” the company said in a press release.

The FGM-148F features an advanced multipurpose warhead as part of the man portable, fire-and-forget Javelin missile system, and incorporates the latest generation shaped charged technology to defeat armored threats. It also adds a fragmented steel warhead to improve lethality against both soft targets and lightly armored vehicles, according to the company.

There are plans to develop a high performance Lightweight Command Launch Unit (CLU) and FGM-148G Model missile that will dramatically improve system performance while reducing weight and lowering system cost, Lockheed said.

The first F-Model round deliveries are planned for early 2020 and will be available for both U.S. and intentional customers, with U.S. government permission.

Javelin anti-tank missile

The FGM-148 Javelin is a U.S.-made man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile which locks on and uses automatic infrared guidance, allowing the user to take cover immediately.

First deployed in 1996, Javelin’s high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead can defeat modern tanks by attacking them from above, but the system can also use a direct-attack mode against buildings and helicopters.

The tandem warhead carries two shaped charges: a precursor to detonate explosive reactive armor and a primary warhead to penetrate base armor.

It has seen extensive use in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 12,000 CLUs have been produced to date and are in the inventories of U.S. forces and France, Taiwan, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Ukraine, Georgia, Australia, Estonia, UAE and the United Kingdom.