US Army Expands Javelin Missile Deployment Strengthening Anti-Tank Defense in South America and North Africa.

On September 3, 2025, Lockheed Martin announced that the U.S. Army had awarded the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a partnership between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, a new production contract for fiscal year 2025. Valued at $900.5 million, the agreement covers the supply of Javelin missiles, associated equipment, and services, and includes foreign sales under the Foreign Military Sales program. For the first time, the system will be delivered to Brazil and Tunisia, marking its entry into South America and North Africa.
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The Javelin is one of the most widely deployed anti-tank systems, and this extension reflects the growing pressure on defense supply chains to meet the needs of U.S. and allied forces. (Picture source: US DoD)

This agreement is part of an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity production contract originally awarded in May 2023. Since the beginning of the year, the joint venture has introduced new tools and testing equipment to improve efficiency and meet higher production rates. The Javelin is one of the most widely deployed anti-tank systems, and this extension reflects the growing pressure on defense supply chains to meet the needs of U.S. and allied forces.

Developed in the United States, the FGM-148 Javelin is a man-portable infrared-guided anti-tank missile with a fire-and-forget capability. Designed for operation by a single soldier, it combines a reusable Command Launch Unit (CLU) weighing 6.4 kg with an 11.8 kg missile equipped with a tandem shaped-charge warhead capable of penetrating 600 to 800 mm of rolled homogeneous armor, including explosive reactive armor. Its top-attack trajectory exploits the vulnerability of armored vehicles at the roof level. Its operational range is between 2,500 and 4,000 meters, and can extend up to 4,750 meters when launched from a vehicle-mounted station. The system has been used in Afghanistan, Iraq, and more recently in Ukraine, and is also effective against bunkers, buildings, light vessels, and slow-moving helicopters, which explains its broad adoption internationally.

Brian Burton, vice president of Precision Fires and Maneuver at Raytheon, noted that the Javelin remains an extensively deployed system in combat operations. He emphasized the close cooperation with the U.S. Army and international customers, as well as the investments in production infrastructure to respond to global demand. The JJV already counts more than 25 international customers, and this new order further consolidates its role on the global market.

The recipients of this contract also include several NATO allies, such as Estonia and Bulgaria, along with Australia in the Indo-Pacific region. According to Rich Liccion, JJV vice president and Lockheed Martin Javelin program director, this award demonstrates customer confidence in the system’s reliability and performance. He stressed the venture’s capacity to increase production rates to meet the requirements of a global customer base facing evolving threats.

The system is jointly manufactured by Raytheon in Tucson, Arizona, and Lockheed Martin in Orlando, Florida. To date, more than 55,000 Javelin missiles and over 12,000 reusable launch units have been delivered. With this new contract, the Javelin has become a central component of the ground arsenals of numerous countries and is now fielded on every continent except Antarctica.

The $900 million contract awarded by the U.S. Army underscores the Javelin’s place in U.S. and international defense strategies. It also marks a significant step with its deployment to Brazil and Tunisia, while strengthening the industrial cooperation between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The decision highlights the ongoing adaptation of production capacity to meet a sustained global demand for modern, versatile, and combat-proven anti-tank systems.