Posted 5/4/2006
Posted 5/4/2006
Marines of 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, fire a Javelin AntiTank Missile at a
target near Blair airfield, Iraq, May 2, 2003. The Javelin was first used in
combat during the Iraq campaign. The missile system, with it's 14 pound control
unit, weighs 49 pounds. The missile has a "fire and forget" fire
control system. The operator puts the cross hairs on the target before launch,
and the missile homes in on it. The warhead has a infrared (heat imaging) seeker
that enables it to hit a moving target at ranges of up to 2,500 meters. Once a
target is detected, the missile can be set up to fire in less than 30 seconds
(which can seem like a lifetime if the target sees you as well). Reload time is
less than 20 seconds, and this consists of removing the empty firing tube of the
missile just launched, and affixing a fresh one. The missile has two attack
modes (selected by the operator before firing), top attack and direct attack.
Top attack has the missile climb and come down on the target so the warhead
can penetrate the thinner top armor. Direct attack is used to take out a
bunker or building and goes directly for the target. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mauricio Campino)