FGM-148 Javelin traces back to the U.S. Army’s Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium program, which sought a replacement for the M47 Dragon. The system entered service in the 1990s and became a joint Raytheon and Lockheed Martin product through the Javelin Joint Venture. Its development emphasized soldier portability, improved reliability, and a fire-and-forget engagement model.
Javelin is a man-portable anti-armor system built around lock-on-before-launch and autonomous missile guidance after firing. Its top-attack and direct-attack profiles allow teams to engage tanks, armored vehicles, and other targets while reducing exposure time after launch. Later F-model missiles added a multipurpose warhead to improve usefulness against soft and light armored targets as well as heavier armor.
Javelin is strategically visible because a small infantry team can impose risk on armored vehicles that are far more expensive and operationally important. It has become a common reference point in discussions of anti-armor aid, stockpile depth, and infantry lethality. A stronger page should connect the weapon to modern dispersed defense rather than reducing it to range and warhead figures.
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