The Australian Army has used the Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) since the 2003 Iraq war, but as good as Javelin has proved in Ukraine, it’s set to make way for the Israeli Spike ATGM in Australian service.
Yet Javelin’s manufacturer Lockheed Martin hasn’t lost hope Australia could reconsider.
Javelin is a joint venture, with Lockheed producing the missile and sub-assembles and Raytheon producing the command launch unit (CLU), associated software and guidance electronics.
With the war in Ukraine, the F-model Javelin is in full rate production of 175 missiles per month and Lockheed is looking to double production to meet soaring demand.
Lockheed Martin is now developing a lightweight CLU, 25 per cent lighter than its predecessor, and a longer-range G-model missile is in development.
Australia has opted for the Israeli Rafael Spike LR2 to equip new infantry vehicles and dismounted troops. Rafael, through its joint venture with Varley, plans to manufacture Spike locally, though only recently has Australia contracted for an initial batch for testing and certification.
Lockheed Martin said it continued to work with the ADF on project Land 159, which includes a requirement for a ATGM for dismounted troops, for which Spike has been provisionally selected.
“The Australian users are very positive about Javelin’s attributes for Land 159. Special forces continue to show strong interest in Javelin, both for dismounted and mounted applications,” said Glenn Barrone, the company’s Manager of International Business for Tactical Missiles at the Land Forces conference.
“We value Australia as a user. They have been a user for quite some time and we want to continue to grow that relationships and capability in country.”