Friday
how powerful is latest version Javelin missile
a new improved launch unit for the javelin missile can do more than just launch the now
famous anti-tank missile it can also launch anti-air Stinger missiles the new lightweight
command launch unit is easier for soldiers to carry around and can protect friendly
airspace from aerial threats to boot in a first this week a Ukrainian shoulder-fired
surface-to-air missile launcher shot down a Russian cruise missile demonstrating the full
spectrum of targets the new launch unit can engage from tanks to cruise missiles foreign
shows a Ukrainian air defense team armed with an unknown man portable air defense system man pads
either a Soviet era sa-18 igla an American fi a 92 Stinger or a Polish made pie run a Russian cruise
missile flies past the team the turbine engine clearly audible the manpad's operator launches
his missile and seconds later a distant explosion signals a successful intercept soccer Friday
the eight-month long war in Ukraine has reinforced many ideas about Modern Warfare
including the thought that sophisticated relatively inexpensive missile systems
operated by a single person can destroy multi-million dollar weapons platforms like
the t-90 tank k-52 alligator attack helicopter su-34 fighter bomber and now cruise missiles
while these weapons have been around for years Russia's invasion of Ukraine has driven home the
idea that a single missile operated by a single person can easily destroy weapons often touted
as decisive Ukrainian troops have single-handedly destroyed Russian tanks and armored vehicles with
enlaw and Javelin anti-tank weapons and Stinger missiles had shot down Russian aircraft and drones
Battlefield drones have grown increasingly popular in recent years serving in places
like Libya nagorno-karabakh Ukraine Israel and elsewhere the drones
cruising at relatively low altitudes have been used for reconnaissance surveillance
targeting and dropping unguided Munitions models such as the Iranian shade 136
which Russia bought by the plane load are capable of one-way kamikay style attacks
until now the solution to the tank and armored vehicle threat was the
javelin missile the solution to the aerial threat was the Stinger missile
javelins are issued at a far greater rate in the U.S army at two per platoon or about one
for every 20 Soldiers the growing threat from drones however is making previously neglected
air defense systems more relevant than ever both Javelin and Stinger require command launch units
clus which typically include a grip stock sighting system night vision sight controls and indicators
the missile launch tube is attached to the clu the clu is shouldered and switched on
and the soldier carrying it can engage multi-million dollar targets with ease
one solution a single launcher that can fire both missiles Raytheon which makes
both the javelin and Stinger is exhibiting the new lightweight command launch unit at
the association of the U.S army showed this week in Washington D.C although the system was first
tested in 2021 the war in Ukraine especially recent events makes it more relevant than ever
the lwclu was born out of an idea that the 1990s era Javelin clu could be made smaller
and lighter due to advances in modern electronics and battery power the original clu weighed 14.16
pounds per National Defense the new ldtlu is 30 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter
overt defense says it has a 50 increase in battery life which is particularly useful
with the javelin as the thermal imager is often used as a handy nighttime surveillance system
the defense site also says the ldclu has an engagement range of 4 000 meters
or 2.48 miles compared to the original clu's range of 2500 meters or 1.55 miles
the Stinger or lightweight clu integration kit adds the Stinger missile plus a more useful and
informative interface for the Stinger operator previously an operator self-acquired the aerial
threat pointed a live Stinger at it and a high pitched oral tone would inform the operator the
missile Seeker had locked onto the aircraft the new lduclu displays the location and direction
of an Airborne thread provided by the Army's air defense Battle Network it also displays a green
yellow or red reticle to differentiate between a good lock partial lock or no lock at all
pads shoot down of a low-flying cruise missile makes ldclu even more useful cruise missiles fly
low and relatively slow to evade radar thanks to their fuel sipping turbine engines that prioritize
range over speed this makes them vulnerable to man pads to which the cruise missile is
just another low-flying aircraft one that's even easier to hit thanks to its lack of a pilot and
the inability to take evasive action a typical U.S army light Infantry Division includes 162
Javelin missile clus and 72 stinger clus same division equipped with lduclus would have 162
Javelin clus and 234 Stinger capable clus a vast increase in low-level air defense capability
the ldclu won't take the place of a dedicated area air defense system
like the American Patriot or the German Iris T just donated to Ukraine's military
the short two-mile range of a manpad's weapon means Defenders would need several
ldvclus to protect a town or even City from cruise missiles individual operators would
need to stand watch with the 30-pound plus weapon on their shoulders and self-detected
incoming cruise missile while it's an imperfect capability it's nice to have
in a pinch especially when your adversary is striking civilian areas and even playgrounds
foreign