MoD orders Javelin missiles

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded the Raytheon-Lockheed Martin Javelin Joint Venture $176m (£109m) to supply more than 1,300 Javelin missile rounds and associated engineering support.

According to Raytheon, Javelin is the world’s first man-portable, ‘fire-and-forget’ multipurpose missile system designed for operations in a variety of environments.

Using the Javelin missile system, an infantryman can engage and defeat targets including armoured vehicles, buildings and field fortifications at ranges up to 2.5km (1.6 miles).

‘Because the Javelin automatically guides itself to the target after launch, the missile system allows the gunner to either take cover to avoid counter-fire or engage another threat,’ said Barry James, programme director of Lockheed Martin Javelin programme and vice-president of the Javelin Joint Venture.

The joint venture will begin delivering missiles to the UK in 2010 and continue through 2012.