US to provide Georgia with anti-tank Javelin missiles

The United States Department of Defence has signed a contract with Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin Joint Venture on the production of the Javelin anti-tank missile systems for a number of countries, including Georgia.

Other countries, which will receive the Javelins include Australia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates.

The US Department of Defence signed the contract of the amount of $18,431,215 on February 28. The Javelin Joint Venture will perform the works in Tucson, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of June 25, 2020. 

• Georgia purchased all US anti-tank Javelin missiles required and they are in Georgia

Javelin uses automatic infrared guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch, as opposed to wired guided systems, where the user has to actively guide the weapon throughout the engagement.

The Javelin's high-explosive anti-tank warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks by attacking them from above, and is also useful against fortifications in a direct attack flight.

Javelin, which is produced by a joint venture between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, has been used extensively and to great advantage in combat operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq.