Oman to get Javelin missiles
Christopher F Foss
Oman will be the second country in the Middle East to deploy the Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin medium-range anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Jordan has already taken delivery of its Javelin ATGMs and there are now 10 international customers who have selected this system, normally following a competitive shoot-off. It was first deployed by the US Army and Marine Corps.
Javelin is a lock-on before launch fire-and-forget ATGM, which consists of the missile in its launch tube and the command launch unit (CLU). The gunner can select either direct attack or top attack, depending on the type of target to be engaged. The missile can also be launched from within an enclosed space. Javelin is fitted with a tandem warhead to neutralise tanks fitted with explosive reactive armour, but in many recent engagements in Afghanistan, it has been used to neutralise bunkers and other battlefield targets. Although the maximum effective range is a nominal 2.5km, Javelin has successfully engaged targets well beyond this. UK forces recently engaged a target at a range of 3.8km during combat operations.So far, the Raytheon/Lockheed Martin joint venture has delivered more than 30,000 Javelin missiles and a smaller number of CLUs to home and export customers. Funding is expected in the future for a number of further enhancements under a Pre-Planned Product Improvement (P3I) programme.
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