Despite its fairly high cost, the FGM-148 Javelin is one of the most successful anti-tank missiles in terms of accuracy and ability to hit moving targets.
The USA had delivered FGM-148 Javelin to many users this year. Lithuania, one of the new users, also acquired missiles worth 31 million USD from the USA. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence has announced that it is planned to procure more FGM-148 worth USD 104 million over the next 10 years to the army. Although the process is still in the intention stage, official steps are expected to be taken in the coming months.
FGM-148 Javelin, developed jointly by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin companies, is an anti-tank missile that can be used by single personnel. The system, which was developed to replace M47 Dragons and has 5,000 combat launch experience as of January 2019, emphasizes personnel safety thanks to its fire-and-forget capability. 45,000 missiles and 12,000 sight-launcher equipment have been manufactured until this day, which can hunt down moving targets behind the cover, either directly or through the attack from the top.
According to the 2021 budget, the unit cost of the missile is approximately 175,000 US Dollars and the weight of the missile is about 16 kilograms. Having a 8.4 kilogram tandem high explosive anti-tank warhead, the Javelin can reach an effective range of 2,500 meters to 4,750 meters depending on the launch platform.
