The FGM-148 Javelin is a man-portable anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) jointly associated with an industrial consortium. It is widely fielded by the United States and partner nations as a crew-served infantry weapon against armored vehicles and selected fortifications.
Javelin’s defining feature in public descriptions is fire-and-forget guidance: after lock-on, the gunner can displace while the imaging infrared (IIR) seeker guides the missile. That contrasts with many earlier ATGMs that required continuous wire or laser guidance and forced the firer to stay exposed.
Published engagement concepts emphasize a dual attack mode set—direct attack for bunkers or softer targets, and a lofted top-attack profile against tanks, striking thinner roof armor. A tandem shaped-charge warhead is designed to defeat explosive reactive armor by initiating a precursor charge before the main charge.
Open sources commonly place effective range on the order of about 65 m minimum to roughly 2.5–4 km maximum depending on missile version and conditions; newer production lots have been associated with extended-range growth. Exact figures vary by Block/version, so responsible summaries treat range as version-dependent rather than a single universal number.
The system comprises a disposable launch tube/missile and a reusable Command Launch Unit (CLU) with day and thermal sights. That architecture raises unit cost versus unguided rockets, but it also gives infantry organic night-capable surveillance even when not firing.
Javelin does not make tanks obsolete. Soft factors—ammunition supply, CLU maintenance, training, and enemy tactics such as smoke, drones, or infantry screens—still decide outcomes. Its lesson for industry is seeker-led lethality at squad level: sensors and guidance can matter as much as warhead diameter.