The FGM-148 Javelin is a 127 mm anti-tank missile launcher featured in both ArmA: Armed Assault and ArmA 2.
ArmA: Armed Assault[]
« | The Javelin is a manportable fire-and-forget infantry anti-tank munition designed to penetrate the armor of today’s heavily armored Main Battle Tanks. The Javelin has replaced the Dragon system in US Army and Marine Corps service. Library Description[1]
|
» |

The Javelin Launcher is used exclusively by U.S. Army forces in ArmA: Armed Assault.
Overview[]
The Javelin is a portable fire-and-forget, infrared-guided, anti-tank guided missile launcher.
It can only load and fire 127 mm missiles fitted with high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) tandem warheads. The launcher is fitted with a Command Launch Unit (CLU) that can toggle between two magnification modes (minimum zoom of 0.35x[A1CfgW 3][Formula 1], maximum of 9.02x zoom[A1CfgW 4][Formula 2]).
Designed to burn through the heavy armour of Main Battle Tanks, the Javelin is an extremely powerful (but cumbersome) AT weapon that can instantly destroy most non-MBT vehicles in a single hit.
As the sole shoulder-launched ATGM in Armed Assault, the Javelin naturally possesses many advantages over the shorter-ranged and unguided M136 rocket launcher. Whereas the latter only provides the user with a simple ironsight to aim with, the Javelin's CLU features an optical sight that can zoomed in and out at the press of a button.
Damage-wise, the HEAT missile can inflict almost twice the amount of damage of the RPG-7V's PG-7VR grenade.[A1CfgA 1] Lastly, the Javelin is more than capable of hitting vehicles at more than three times the maximum firing range of either launcher, which makes it the premier AT launcher in Armed Assault.
Optics[]

The Javelin's Command Launch Unit (CLU) has a minimum magnification of 0.35x zoom[A1CfgW 3][Formula 1] and a maximum of 9.02x zoom[A1CfgW 4][Formula 2]
Recoil curves[]
{
title: {
text: 'launcherBase'
},
tooltip: {
trigger: 'axis',
axisPointer: {
type: 'cross',
label: {
backgroundColor: '#824100'
}
}
},
legend: {
data: ['Time Taken', 'Kickback', 'Kick Up']
},
toolbox: {
feature: {
saveAsImage: {}
}
},
grid: {
left: '3%',
right: '4%',
bottom: '3%',
containLabel: true
},
xAxis: [
{
name: 'Duration',
nameLocation: 'middle',
type: 'category',
boundaryGap: false,
data: ['0', '0.01', '0.02']
}
],
yAxis: [
{
name: 'Amplitude',
nameLocation: 'end',
type: 'value'
}
],
series: [
{
name: 'Time Taken',
type: 'line',
stack: 'Total',
label: {
show: true,
position: 'top'
},
areaStyle: {},
emphasis: {
focus: 'series'
},
data: [0, 0.01, 0.025],
smooth: true
},
{
name: 'Kickback',
type: 'line',
stack: 'Total',
label: {
show: true,
position: 'top'
},
areaStyle: {},
emphasis: {
focus: 'series'
},
data: [0, 0, 0],
smooth: true
},
{
name: 'Kick Up',
type: 'line',
stack: 'Total',
label: {
show: true,
position: 'top'
},
areaStyle: {},
emphasis: {
focus: 'series'
},
data: [0, 0.05, 0],
smooth: true
}
]
}
Charts/graphs are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
|
Munitions[]

Javelin Missile
The Javelin Launcher only supports one type of missile.[A1CfgW 5] It requires six[A1CfgM 2] inventory slots to carry:
Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Base damage value | 800[A1CfgA 1] |
Splash damage value | 20[A1CfgA 2] |
Warhead type | Armour Piercing + High-Explosive |
Blast radius (metres) | 2[A1CfgA 3] |
Launch velocity (m/s) | 20[A1CfgM 3] |
Maximum speed (m/s) | 430[A1CfgA 4] |
Javelin missiles are always launched with an initial velocity of 20 m/s.[A1CfgM 3] 0.3 seconds after launch[A1CfgA 5], the missile's motor will ignite and begin gaining thrust over the course of 5 seconds[A1CfgA 6] of flight time to attain a top speed of 430 m/s.[A1CfgA 4]
The missile's warhead has a blast radius of 2 metres.[A1CfgA 3] The missile only has enough fuel for a flight time of 30 seconds. It will automatically explode if it does not hit its target within that timeframe.[A1CfgA 7]
Trivia[]
- Armed Assault's Javelin is unrealistically shown using the same reloading animation as the RPG-7V. Although the real-world Javelin system is designed to be reusable, only the CLU is retained while the tube is discarded and replaced with a fresh one.
- Oddly enough, the CLU itself is shown disappearing immediately after a missile is launched.
- Prior to Update 1.06, each of the Javelin Launcher's missiles did not occupy six inventory slots.[2]
- At release, the model also had some visual inconsistencies that would cause the missile to appear from the user's head rather than from the launcher tube. This issue was also corrected after Update 1.06.[2]
Gallery[]
ArmA 2[]
« | The Javelin is a manportable fire-and-forget infantry anti-tank munition designed to penetrate the armor of today’s heavily armored Main Battle Tanks. The Javelin has replaced the Dragon system in US Army and Marine Corps service. | » |

The FGM-148 Javelin is used by several BLUFOR factions in ArmA 2.
Overview[]
The Javelin still serves as the heavy AT launcher of U.S. military forces, as well as with the British Army where it is used alongside the smaller and lighter NLAW.
It continues to load 127 mm missiles fitted with tandem HEAT warheads, and is capable of striking ground targets at distances of up to 2,000 metres. The launcher's CLU can switch between two fields of view (minimum 4.01x zoom[A2CfgW 4][Formula 3]), maximum 9.02x zoom[A2CfgW 5][Formula 4]) but can now toggle a day, night, and black-/white-hot thermal vision mode.[A2CfgW 6][A2CfgW 7] It takes six seconds for the launcher to acquire a lock onto a target.[A2CfgW 8] The lock-on process can always be temporarily disrupted by defensive smoke countermeasures.[A2CfgM 2]
When it comes to raw firepower, the Javelin is unrivalled even when compared to its shoulder-launched Russian counterpart. It doesn't need to be manually guided to its target, and only requires six seconds to acquire and lock onto any ground vehicles with an active infrared signature.[A2CfgW 8] Once launched, the Javelin's missile is almost always guaranteed to score a mission kill (or an outright catastrophic kill) upon the target[A2CfgA 1], even if they manage to activate defensive smoke countermeasures.
Despite all its strengths however, the Javelin also possesses several drawbacks that prevent it from being used against anything other than MBTs. For starters, each missile takes up to six inventory slots to carry (just like in Armed Assault)[A2CfgM 3], which basically restricts the Javelin to being a single-shot launcher only unless the operator decides to forgo carrying ammunition for their primary weapon altogether (or if there is a second team member ready to haul an extra missile).
Secondly, the Javelin's HEAT warhead is designed specifically to punch through vehicle armour and has a very tiny blast radius of only 2 metres.[A2CfgA 2] It also cannot be guided manually via SACLOS, which makes it practically useless against infantry since the user cannot accurately gauge the distance to a target manually, unlike the MAAWS rocket launcher which has a proper reticle for this purpose.
Lastly, the Javelin uses an arched flight trajectory as opposed to a straight one like the NLAW, which makes missing targets that are at close distances (under 150 metres) very likely. This is because it tends to overfly its target at such ranges and will not be able to change its heading in time before impacting onto something else other than its intended target.
Regardless of these downsides, the Javelin still remains as the premier heavy AT weapon in ArmA 2. There is simply no better substitute for the Javelin at doing what it does best: turning enemy tanks into scrap metal. In a defensive position with plenty of missiles to spare, a single Javelin team can put a stop to any armoured offensive with ease.
Optics[]

The Javelin's Command Launch Unit (CLU) cannot be manually zeroed. It has the ability to switch between normal day, night or black-/white-hot thermal vision modes.[A2CfgW 6][A2CfgW 7] The CLU's display can be switch between two fields of view:[A2CfgW 9] Narrow (NFOV 9.02x)[A2CfgW 5][Formula 3] or Wide (WFOV 4.01x).[A2CfgW 4][Formula 4]

Left: WFOV, Right: NFOV
To begin the lock-on process, it is only necessary to have the target vehicle's silhouette be within the bounds of the reticle's black borders.
Once a valid target has been acquired, the SEEK icon will light up to indicate that the lock-on process has begun. Whilst the lock is being acquired, the DO NOT FIRE icon (crossed-out missile) in the bottom right will also flash to indicate to the user that the missile is not yet ready to fire. As soon as the target vehicle has been fully locked onto, the DNF icon will fade, and the seeker's tone will then change to a rapidly looping sound to indicate that the missile is ready to launch.
It should be noted that it is not necessary for the Javelin's CLU to have its thermal vision modes to be active to start locking on (indicated by the lighting up of the FLTR icon). The missile's seeker can still maintain a lock-on even if the CLU has been switched to either normal day or night vision.
Recoil curves[]
{
title: {
text: 'launcherBase'
},
tooltip: {
trigger: 'axis',
axisPointer: {
type: 'cross',
label: {
backgroundColor: '#824100'
}
}
},
legend: {
data: ['Time Taken', 'Kickback', 'Kick Up']
},
toolbox: {
feature: {
saveAsImage: {}
}
},
grid: {
left: '3%',
right: '4%',
bottom: '3%',
containLabel: true
},
xAxis: [
{
name: 'Duration',
nameLocation: 'middle',
type: 'category',
boundaryGap: false,
data: ['0', '0.01', '0.02']
}
],
yAxis: [
{
name: 'Amplitude',
nameLocation: 'end',
type: 'value'
}
],
series: [
{
name: 'Time Taken',
type: 'line',
stack: 'Total',
label: {
show: true,
position: 'top'
},
areaStyle: {},
emphasis: {
focus: 'series'
},
data: [0, 0.01, 0.025],
smooth: true
},
{
name: 'Kickback',
type: 'line',
stack: 'Total',
label: {
show: true,
position: 'top'
},
areaStyle: {},
emphasis: {
focus: 'series'
},
data: [0, 0, 0],
smooth: true
},
{
name: 'Kick Up',
type: 'line',
stack: 'Total',
label: {
show: true,
position: 'top'
},
areaStyle: {},
emphasis: {
focus: 'series'
},
data: [0, 0.05, 0],
smooth: true
}
]
}
Charts/graphs are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
|
Munitions[]

Javelin Missile
The Javelin can only be loaded with one type of missile.[A2CfgW 10] It occupies up to six[A2CfgM 3] inventory slots:
Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Base damage value | 800[A2CfgA 1] |
Splash damage value | 20[A2CfgA 3] |
Warhead type | High-Explosive Anti-Tank |
Blast radius (metres) | 2[A2CfgA 2] |
Launch velocity (m/s) | 20[A2CfgM 4] |
Maximum speed (m/s) | 430[A2CfgA 4] |
Locks on via infrared guidance.[A2CfgA 5][note 1]
Javelin missiles are always fired with an initial velocity of 20 m/s.[A2CfgM 4] 0.3 seconds after launch[A2CfgA 6], the missile's motor will ignite and take a further 5 seconds of flight time[A2CfgA 7] to attain a top speed of 430 m/s.[A2CfgA 4]
The missile's warhead has a blast radius of 2 metres.[A2CfgA 2] Its seeker has a 20% chance to have its lock broken by smoke-based countermeasures.[A2CfgA 8] Javelin missiles only have enough fuel for 30 seconds of flight; they will automatically explode if the target is not hit within this timeframe.[A2CfgA 9]
Trivia[]
- As in Armed Assault, the CLU on ArmA 2 Javelins still disappear immediately after firing. Similarly, it is incorrectly depicted using the RPG-7V's reloading animation.
- Initially, the Javelin did not have the ability to toggle thermal vision modes until the release of the Operation Arrowhead expansion pack.
- Like the British NLAW, the in-game Javelin lacks the ability to make use of a top-attack guidance mode and can only use direct fire.
- At launch, Javelins had a high chance of missing targets whenever it was used by AI units (even after they locked onto vehicles). This was eventually fixed after the release of Patch 1.07.[5]
- Until the release of the latest Steam version patches (as part of the CorePatch updates), the Javelin did not have the ability to toggle a night vision mode.[6]
- The Javelin also utilised the same reticle as its predecessor in Armed Assault, though this was replaced with a proper reticle that matches the real Javelin's CLU interface.[6]
Gallery[]
Config/script references[]
CfgAmmo (ArmA: Armed Assault)CfgMagazines (ArmA: Armed Assault)CfgWeapons (ArmA: Armed Assault)CfgAmmo (ArmA 2)
CfgMagazines (ArmA 2)CfgWeapons (ArmA 2)
Formulae |
Notes[]
- ↑ If available, Javelin missiles can be detected by the target's Infrared Warning Receiver (IWR) during lock-on and its Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) while inbound towards it.
References[]
- ↑ Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2006, Weapons, armedassault.com, viewed 5 March 2025, <https://web.archive.org/web/20071011200457/http://www.armedassault.com/weapons.html>. (archived link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Španěl, M et al. 2007, ArmA: Armed Assault: Version History, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 16 April 2023, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/ArmA:_Armed_Assault:_Version_History#Version_1.06>.
- ↑ Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2009, AT/AA Launchers, Arma 2, viewed 5 March 2025, <https://www.arma2.com/arma-2-weaponry/ataa-launchers>.
- ↑ Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2010, AT/AA Launchers, Arma 2, viewed 5 March 2025, <https://www.arma2.com/arma-2-oa-weaponry/a-2-oa-ataa-launchers>.
- ↑ .kju et al. 2009, Arma 2: Version History, Bohemia Interactive Community Wiki, viewed 27 November 2023, <https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_2:_Version_History#Version_1.07>.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mazzon, M et al. 2019, CorePatch, GitHub, viewed 16 April 2023, <https://github.com/Goliath86/CorePatch/blob/master/Changelog.txt>.
External links[]
See also[]
Weapons of comparable role and configuration[]
- NLAW (Alternate British Army counterpart, ArmA 2: BAF only)
- Metis-M 9K115 (Russian Armed Forces/Takistani Army counterpart)
- M47 Dragon (Outdated Takistani Rebel predecessor, ArmA 2: OA only)
- Titan MPRL Compact (NATO/CSAT/AAF counterpart, ArmA 3 only)
Weapons of ArmA: Armed Assault | |
---|---|
Handguns | M9 9 mm • Makarov 9 mm |
Submachine guns | MP5A5 9 mm (SD6) |
Carbines | AKS-74U 5.45 mm • M4A1 5.56 mm (M4A1 GL, M4, M4 GL) |
Assault rifles | AK-74 5.45 mm (AK-74 + GP-25, AKS-74 PSO) • G36 series (G36, G36C, G36K) • M16A2 5.56 mm (M203) • M16A4 5.56 mm (GL) |
Designated marksman rifles | Mk12 SPR 5.56 mm |
Sniper rifles | KSVK 12.7 mm • M107 .50 • M24 7.62 mm • SVD Dragunov 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | M240 7.62 mm • PKM 7.62 mm |
Grenade launchers | 6G30 |
Launchers | 9K32 Strela • FIM-92F Stinger • Javelin Launcher • M136 • RPG-7V |
Static | AA Pod • AT Tripod • AGS-30 • D-30 • DShKM • M2 • M119A1 • Mk. 19 • Searchlight |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Queen's Gambit |
![]() | |
---|---|
Handguns | M9 9 mm* |
Submachine guns | MP5A5 9 mm (SD6) |
Carbines | G36 series* (G36C*, G36K*) • M4A1 5.56 mm* (M4A1 GL*, M4, M4 GL) |
Assault rifles | G36 5.56 mm • M16A4 5.56 mm (GL) |
Designated marksman rifles | Mk12 SPR 5.56 mm* |
Sniper rifles | M107 .50 • M24 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm* |
Machineguns | M240 7.62 mm |
Launchers | FIM-92F Stinger • Javelin Launcher • M136 |
Static | AA Pod • AT Tripod • M2 • M119A1 • Mk. 19 • Searchlight |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. * denotes weapons also used by the Black Element sub-faction. |
![]() | |
---|---|
Handguns | M1911 .45 • M9 9 mm |
Submachine guns | MP5 9 mm |
Shotguns | M1014 |
Carbines | M4A1 5.56 mm (M4A1 M203) |
Assault rifles | M16A4 5.56 mm (M16A4 M203) |
Designated marksman rifles | DMR 7.62 mm • Mk12 SPR 5.56 mm |
Sniper rifles | M107 .50 • M24 7.62 mm (M40A3) |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | Mk 48 Mod 0 7.62 mm • M240 7.62 mm |
Launchers | FGM-148 Javelin • FIM-92F Stinger • M136 • SMAW |
Static | M2 • M252 • Mk19 • M119A1 • Searchlight • Stinger • TOW |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. |
![]() | |
---|---|
Handguns | G17 9 mm • M1911 .45 • M9 9 mm |
Shotguns | M1014 |
Carbines | Mk16 CQC 5.56 mm |
Assault rifles | SCAR series (Mk16, Mk16 EGLM, Mk17, Mk17 EGLM) |
Designated marksman rifles | M14 7.62 mm • Mk17 Sniper 7.62 mm |
Sniper rifles | M107 .50 • M110 7.62 mm • M24 7.62 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | M249 SAW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | Mk 48 Mod 0 7.62 mm • M240 7.62 mm |
Grenade launchers | M32 • Mk13 |
Launchers | FGM-148 Javelin • FIM-92F Stinger • M136 • MAAWS |
Static | M2 • M252 • Mk19 • M119A1 • Searchlight • Stinger • TOW |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Operation Arrowhead |
![]() | |
---|---|
Handguns | M1911 .45 |
Assault rifles | L85A2 5.56 mm (L85A2 UGL) |
Designated marksman rifles | L86A2 LSW 5.56 mm |
Sniper rifles | AS50 12.7 mm • LRR .338 |
Squad automatic weapons | L110A1 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | L7A2 GPMG 7.62 mm |
Launchers | FGM-148 Javelin • FIM-92F Stinger • NLAW |
Static | L111A1 • L134A1 |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. British Armed Forces |