British Army tests lightweight Javelin antitank weapon at record range

MILAN — The British Army has successfully test-fired the Javelin’s Lightweight Command Launch Unit (LWCLU) at a record range, marking a milestone as the system evolves to counter longer-range threats.

The testing, which was conducted this week, involved engaging a target at a distance of four kilometers, a first for the smaller and lighter weapon system.

“The successful engagement of a target at 4km today [in Salisbury, England] is a statement of intent – it represents a tangible demonstration of how seriously the British Army is taking the Chief of General Staff’s direction to double fighting power by 2027,” British Army Lt. Col. Chris Woods said in a press release.

The LWCLU is produced by the Javelin Joint Venture, a partnership between Raytheon (RTX) and Lockheed Martin. It is a component of the Javelin missile system designed to be 30% smaller and 25% lighter than the previous Block I Command Launch Unit, which enables soldiers to transport and deploy it faster, according to RTX.

It is said to have doubled target detection and recognition capabilities than its predecessor, per the company’s website, and is compatible with all current, past and future Javelin variants.

The United Kingdom is a key partner in the components supply chain of the Javelin and is expected to produce 3,960 rounds per year by 2026 and 900 LWCLUs by the end of the decade.

The Javelin joint venture provides £56 million ($75 million) per year to the UK economy at current manufacturing rates, an amount that RTX says will increase.

In 2022, the British government requested to buy 513 Javelin LWCLUs for an estimated cost of $300 million.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——英国陆军已成功试射“标枪”导弹的轻型指挥发射单元（LWCLU），射程创下纪录，这标志着该系统在应对远程威胁方面取得了里程碑式的进展。

本周进行的测试包括攻击四公里外的目标，这对于这种更小更轻的武器系统来说是第一次。

英国陆军中校克里斯·伍兹在一份新闻稿中表示：“今天（在英国索尔兹伯里）在 4 公里处成功打击目标，表明了我们的决心——这切实地证明了英国陆军认真履行了总参谋长关于到 2027 年将战斗力翻一番的指示。”

LWCLU由标枪联合体生产，该联合体是雷神公司（RTX）和洛克希德·马丁公司的合资企业。据RTX称，它是标枪导弹系统的一个组件，其设计比之前的Block I指挥发射单元体积缩小30%，重量减轻25%，从而使士兵能够更快地运输和部署导弹。

据该公司网站称，其目标检测和识别能力比上一代产品提高了一倍，并且与所有当前、过去和未来的标枪导弹型号兼容。

英国是标枪导弹零部件供应链的关键合作伙伴，预计到 2026 年每年将生产 3,960 发标枪导弹，到本十年末将生产 900 枚轻型连发弹。

Javelin 合资企业按目前的生产速度每年为英国经济贡献 5600 万英镑（7500 万美元），RTX 表示这一数额将会增加。

2022年，英国政府提出购买513架标枪轻型水下巡航导弹，预计花费3亿美元。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。