The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of Javelin missiles to the United Kingdom for an estimated cost of £104 million.
The sale includes up to 600 Javelin FGM-148F missiles and technical assistance from the US Government.
The sale aims to improve the United Kingdom’s security and defence capacity to meet current and future threats, supporting the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States.
According to the potential sale notification:
“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Kingdom of Javelin Missiles for an estimated cost of $125.13 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
The Government of the United Kingdom has requested to buy up to six hundred (600) Javelin FGM-148F missiles (includes twelve (12) fly-to-buy missiles). Also included is U.S. Government technical assistance and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated cost is $125.13 million.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.
The proposed sale will improve the United Kingdom’s capability to meet current and future threats. The United Kingdom will use the enhanced capability to build its long-term defense capacity to meet its national defense requirements. The United Kingdom will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
The prime contractors will be Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin Joint Venture, Orlando, FL and Tucson, AZ. There are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale.
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the United Kingdom. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.”
What is the Javelin missile?
The Javelin missile is a man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile system developed by the US and produced by a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. It is designed to be used by infantry units.
The missile system can be operated by a single person and is effective against a range of armoured vehicles, bunkers, and fortifications. It is currently used by several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and several NATO members.
Is there a major NATO Air Ex ongoing? I’ve been in Grasmere 2 hours and circa 18 have over, of which I think I saw a German SEAD Tonka as well F15s and tiffies, and they’re still flying over the shop towards Spadeadam.
My colleagues said they’d been flying over all morning as well.
Major three week naval one just kicked off thats being held Cyprus through to the Gulf and France is currently holding a domestic one.
Yes. Exercise Cobra Warrior out of RAF Waddington.
Thanks Robert, I managed to get out the shop as one formation flew over – did I see an F35 taking part – I only saw the tail, so wasn’t sure. Other people say they saw a huge transport lumbering over, any clue as to C17, C5, A400 or herc?
Any of the heavies based in the UK could be involved. An Indian Air Force C17 has come over and a Saudi C130. Saudi Typhoons have come over. They are operating out of Coningsby.
Belgium F16’s, Indian Mirage 2000’s, Saudi Typhoons. Home team Typhoons and F35’s. Plus USAF assets from Mildenhall and Lakenheath. RAF P8’s A400 Chinooks and Voyager. Probably other’s I’ve missed. 👍
Good to keep stocks up, but would have been nice to see the updated launch/sight modules included too. They’re lighter, have better sensors to allow longer range shots to be taken, and can even be “cross decked” to fire Stingers- not that we have them in inventory.
I imagine the squaddies would have been happy to have something that both weighed less and did the job better in one package!
Hi Joe, believe that the LWCLU’s are either included or part of another order, along with whatever is required to fit them on the RWS4 for Boxer.
Cant remember exactly where I saw this info, but there is a bit on JDW about it.
Joe wrote: “”Good to keep stocks up, but would have been nice to see the updated launch/sight modules included too.”” That was a separate order made last August: US approves sale of Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units to UK The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a potential foreign military sale (FMS) of Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LWCLUs) to the UK. Worth $300m, the potential sale was approved by the US State Department. The sale was approved following a request placed by the UK Government for a total of 513 LWCLUs, Javelin LWCLU Basic Skills Trainers, Javelin… Read more »
The LWCLU order also contained kits to attach Javelin to the RS4 Remote Weapon Stations that the UK is using as well.
Hopefully we’lll refurbish and continue to use the standard CLU’s as additional firing posts (they’re also useful for their observation capability).
That’s handy, but would those kits be usable with the older CLUs? Then you’ve got lightweight ones for the infantry and heavy ones on a vehicle. Makes more sense in my head, although the better optics etc. would also make them beneficial ont he vehicle mount I suppose.
The RS4 already includes full EO/IR that is superior to the Javelin CLU so no need to use on vehicles. We should retain the old CLU as additional launch units. The more the merrier.
Ah, good stuff, ignore me then!
Was hoping we’d upgrade the RS4s on at least some of the Boxers to the RS6, which I believe can take 30 mm cannon- wouldn’t quite give us the option of making them wheeled IFVs, but next best thing?
Yes I think RS4 is a mistake. We should have gone for RS6 and equipped with AEI’s 30mm Venom and Javelin.
It can’t have been hugely more expensive to do that- even FFBNW the larger gun. I am often baffled by the army’s procurement choices; navy and airforce I can generally see some logic, even if I don’t fully agree. Army though, rarely do I see any sense- although the new model CLUs we started this conversation with are a small example.
Totally agree. Bad enough that the Armoured Infantry lose tracked mobility, let alone their 40mm stabilised cannons (as per WCSP).
I find it hard to think of Boxer with MG as much more than a very expensive ‘modern Alvis Saracen’.
From tracked, cannon-equipped IFV (about to be upgraded) to a MG-equipped wheeled APC – is that progress?
I’d agree- that’s all it is, a wheeled APC with 21st Century levels of protection. Mind you, some of them will have 40 mm GMG…
Thanks Joe, my concern is that Boxer will be inferior to old Warrior let alone the proposed upgraded Warrior. It supposedly has high protection levels but I am not sure if it will keep up with tanks going through snow, and deep glutinous mud. The 40mm GMG is effective out to 1500m and with a max of 2200m – good against dismounted infantry – it probably won’t do much against enemy light/medium armour, as a 30-40mm cannon would. The CTA40 that would have equipped updated Warrior has an effective range of 2,500m and a max range of 8,500m and can… Read more »
That’s good to hear- I read about them elsewhere and thought they’d be a good piece of kit to get.
How many have been donated to Ukraine? Is this a direct one for one replacement or a stealth cut?
It’s a replacement for the ones sent, but with some more added on. We purchased 9,000 odd Javelin in the initial order. With a couple of further smaller orders since.
Nice that we are finally replacing stocks that have been sent to Ukraine. I wonder who’s budget it’s coming from.
Doesn’t matter. The Government will write it all off anyway eventually. Ukraine has focused minds on gaps in defence spending. Who is going to object to spending loads of money on Army kit now.
Penny pincher Sunak for one. Money is to be made in his world not spent.
The older I get the more I think that defence shouldn’t be the responsibility of politicians, come to that neither should national infrastructures.
You mean who is going to object other than the government. We are a year in and no news on increases, can’t see a magical increase happening now that russia is pretty much defeated when it didn’t happen when it looked like Europe was at risk, 13 months ago.
Skynews reported a few weeks back a Whitehall source who stated there will be no new money defence in the March budget.
Hope the hell he is wrong!
If so, I am sure we would be one of a very few NATO European countries that had not committed more funds to Defence since the Russian invasion. That would be a badge of shame.
To be fair we were one of the few that were already meeting the 2%.
For a lot of the rest their increases are purely to get them to 2%, which we’ve been doing for years. They’ve been caught with their pants down as we said they would…
But we have supplied by far one of the most amounts of support in terms of equipment and financial aid to Ukraine.
Think thats what I said. Not to have done so would be a badge of shame.
I thought there was British ‘version’ of the Javelin system?
Do you mean Milan? Javelin replaced it as I recall. I know NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visited South Korea recently to see if they could supply additional equipment for Ukraine, some of these would be helpful. “Javelin’s brand power had been too strong for Raybolt to compete. But the war in Ukraine has boosted interest in anti-tank guided missiles, which is expected to increase sales of the South Korean weapon. Raybolt has similar warhead power and range to Javelin’s missile, while its visible light camera allows a shooter to aim and launch day and night. Its prices are reportedly only… Read more »
You’re perhaps thinking of NLAW, the other scourge of Russian tanks, IFVs, etc.
Both have their advantages.
Do you mean this – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javelin_(surface-to-air_missile)
What the hell is a ‘fly-to-buy’ missile? Is it I’ll pay for it if I shoot it? Totally bizarre. Lol.
It is a missile that’s used as a random sample to prove the quality of the whole batch. So in this case, 600 are bought on the basis that the 12 fly to buy ones worked when fired
I see. Thanks. Now that makes total sense.
Why all the jargon every time they sell something?
For the Boxers?
I believe they are included, there is a kit to attach Javelin to the RWS.
Thx. I see Rudeboy has posted that we have bought these kits. So we will likely see Javelin on Boxer and possibly Ares.
Yes. Boxer with cannon and a Brimstone type to replace the Swingfire capability are what I’m waiting for though.
Oh, pretty please can we have a vehicle launched Brimstone capability…
Hi Daniele,
That system has soooo many potential applications and we need to make better use of it given number of capability caps we have across the board. Surface to surface, air to surface, land or maritime Brimstone could give us us a very useful light weight capability. If is can kill a heavily armoured tank it can potential provide a mission kill on a reasonably sized warship, etc…
We’ve said it all before 🙂
Cheers CR
The article linked below says Brimstone mounted on Coyote is in use in Ukraine.
Do you need something as expensive as Boxer to mount Brimstone? Coyote perhaps?
https://continental-defence.com/british-coyote-tsv-will-receive-us-hawkeye-howitzer
Concept for Brimstone demo’d last year on Supacat HMT
https://supacat.com/newsevents/news/supacat-mbda-show-concept-demonstrator-new-brimstone-hmt/
From deployment in Ukraine to concept demonstrator in a matter of weeks. That’s what a call a project plan 😀
https://www.defencetoday.com/security/flashpoints/uk-supplied-brimstone-operational-in-ukraine/
Fly to buys are randomly selected from that particular production lot, specifically for life fire testing to determine acceptability (quality) of that production lot
Great that were replacing stock let’s hope we don’t have to use them for real 🇬🇧
Why we buying the javelin dont we make our own anti tank missiles the ngad or something wich from what ive seen is pretty spectacular at killing tanks
Not really about this story but I see Putin has accused Ukraine of “terrorist acts” inside mother Russia. He really is a deluded warped little pig.
So it’s terrorism if Ukranians strike inside Russia but firing 14,000 guided weapons at Ukraine and destroying whole cities and killing tens of thousands of Ukranian civilians in an illegal, terrorist campaign is not state sponsored terrorism or better yet crimes against humanity.
Sad and deluded.
I am afraid that sociopaths have a tendency to be paranoid, controlling, calculating, reasonable intelligent, and tend to belief what they want be belief despite others seeing things completely differently. In the worst case they have a very ruthless streak with no empathy or sympathy for others suffering. Does that remind you of someone ? As for post saying Russia is near to defeat I would beg to differ.If Sunak thinks that we could be in real trouble.
Certainly things in Ukraine will get potentially very dangerous for everyone when the Ukrainians start their Spring offensive.
It’s widely thought a drive into Crimea will be on the cards, that’s regarded as a red line by Putin and might possibly cause a WMD lash out….
We can only hope and pray someone sensible can talk him down.
Do the Russians hold Donetsk?
Donetsk city has been the capital of the Donetsk Peoples Republic since 2014 back when the civil war started.
Oh, yeh. I’ll take that as a yes 🙂
Another one i’ve heard being banded around as an idea would be for a offensive south of Zaporizhzhia to Melitopol. This would effectively cut off all Russian forces in the Kherson area on the other side of the Dnipro from decent resupply. Would basically mean all the supply for those troops would have to be done through Crimea and the Kerch bridge.
I’d be surprised to see an assault on Donetsk city itself but, would be quite a big win if they could get it.
Donetsk would be a big ask. Heavy fighting for Bakhmut route centre and for Vuhledar.
Agree Zaporizhzhia to Melitopol looks favourite. Are the Ukrainians in a position to retake Mariupol? Symbolic.
The Russian’s are dumb, but aren’t that dumb, the E105 to Melitopol is the obvious attack route. If the Ukrainian’s could pull it off, and hit the Kerch bridge and Ferries at the same time it would effectively mean 25% of Russian forces in Ukraine would be doomed. A more sensible route might be Huliapole to Polohy. Decent road network and gives them the option of heading south west to cut off the Russian front with an advance to Melitopol via Tokmak, or head east to either Mariupol or Berdyansk. The Russian’s wouldn’t be able to cover all potential avenues… Read more »
This Ukrainian web site gives some insight into the way the Russians are thinking.
https://uatv.ua/en/wagnerites-arrive-en-masse-in-russian-occupied-areas-of-zaporizhzhia-region-mayor-of-melitopol/
As you say, they are expecting a push to Melitopol down the E105.
One hopes they will be for us and not the ukes, we’ve hollowed ourselves out enough for now.
We’ve still got 7,000 odd Javelin, 7,000+ NLAW, LAW66, Matador ASM, 4,000+ Hellfire and over 2,000 Brimstone in stock….
And the only armoured threat of note to us is being utterly wrecked as we speak.
The Russian’s were already approaching block obsolescence across all their kit, now its even worse…they’re approaching block obsolescence, but without any mass or stockpiles of ammo…
It would take them 30 years to rebuild and thats if they had a functioning economy that wasn’t doomed by sanctions…and the relentless corruption.
I think we’ll be ok…
It’s more a case of numbers not being replaced by the same numbers, this conflict has shown how shallow our stocks and ability to replace it is.
I wish I was as optimistic, we’ll see how spring and summer goes.
We’ve sent less than 600 Javelin to Ukraine, even though we have a really big stockpile. We’re actually in a better place than most. We can currently manufacture over 95 Brimstone per month…thats pretty good going. Thales in Belfast were manufacturing over 3,000 NLAW per year as well… Neither of those is 24-7 working either…just a regular 40 hr week… I would much rather make our own ATGM though… Despite its good showing in Ukraine I personally would have purchased MMP. It’s an MBDA product, components are already made in Bolton. A UK line would make a lot of sense.… Read more »
Probably a daft question, but can they be reloaded, or is it once fired that’s it for the launcher
I think they can be reloaded, in contrast with NLAWS which I think are ‘disposable’.
Not entirely.
The launcher is non-reausable, but the targeting system is.
Basically the launch computer and scope decouple from the tube, and attach to a new “tube” with a fresh missile.
Very clear. Thx.
I think Paul is right. There was a seperate order for launch units last August (see Farouk’s post above). So I don’t think you would order seperate launch units and then a stock pile of missiles unless they were reloadable. I also think I have seen pictures of two man teams using the system – one with a loaded fire unit the other with a couple of relaods. The possibly confusing thing is that the missiles come in the launch tube which looks very similar to the NLAW single shot weapon. The Javalin launch tube is, I believe, dispossable as… Read more »
Yes, generally as dismounts, a team of two operates the Javelin. One who is the firer, the second does the reload. Which can be done in around 20 seconds. Though slightly quicker if pre-prepared. The command launch unit (CLU) is quite light at 6.4kg, but it is bulky. So one of the team usually carries that. Whilst the buddy usually carries a pair of missiles that weigh around 12 kg each. You can at a pinch carry the two missiles fastened to your day sack. Whilst a CLU takes up most of the space. So normally use a larger Bergen… Read more »
Thanks DaveyB,
Really appreicate the insights.
Cheers CR
The missile is in a disposable tube. The sighting system clips on. When fired you dispose of the now empty plastic tube and clip a new missile onto the firing unit.
Same as MILAN…NLAW isn’t fully disposable, the ACOG sight unit can be removed and used as a rifle sight.
You can’t really use the ACOG sight as a rifle sight. It’s on a swing arm that you have to break to remove it from the Launcher. No Picatinny rails or anything like that. You remove it from the launcher mainly so that the enemy don’t get a free sight unit that theoretically could be reconditioned if they find the launcher.
Yes you can re-use the command unit up until the batteries run flat, then pop in some new ones. The missile in its tube is a one shot, that then gets replaced by another missile in its tube that slots on to the launcher.
Why are we buying Javlin when we have our own NLAW ?
We’ve used Javelin for years..
They’re complimentary systems.
It is pro and con for me Pro; good replacement our give away javelin to Ukraine. It is still good weapon, I think should give away to Ukraine this weapon and replacement with more modern. Con; should replace with either (pick one) Akron MP (MMP) or Spike MR-NG indeed. – LOAL and NLOS and can use third party so more hide increase soldier survival chance. As both can fire in NLOS when Javelin is LOS (not NLOS) For me it is wrong weapon to replacement to long term. Should order both – Spike MR-NG /Akaron MP and Switchblade 600 indeed… Read more »
“Carl Gustav MK3 to replacement matador Anti-Structure / Light armoured vehicle / other (they can re-used)” Charlie G comes with serious Health and Safety concerns…the effect of firing on users is classed as traumatic. It’s one of the reasons we got rid originally. Nothing wrong with Matador, apart from the fact we should be buying from the UK. Hopefully Lockheed will get Insys making munitions again (the old Hunting Engineering mob). “Spike MR-NG /Arakon MP can fire shoulder and stationary, tripod, vehicles platform, RIWIS, helicopter, UAV. NLOS LOAL – weapon to replacement Javelin (Medium Range AT)” I’d personally buy MMP… Read more »
Javelin (& NLAW) are very good bits of kit. UA also needs more tanks – interesting that several sources today quote Ukrainian Ambassador to UK as saying that Rishi has agreed to double the numbers of CR2 to be gifted to UA following recent Zelensky visit.