US State Department approves sale of Javelin missiles to Tunisia
The US State Department has approved the potential sale of Javelin missiles to Tunisia for an estimated cost of $107.7 million, the Pentagon said on December 3rd according to The Arab Weekly and agencies.
They added that the prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin and RTX Corp.
Tunisia has requested to purchase 184 Javelin FGM-148F missiles including four fly-to-buy missiles and 30 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LWCLU).
In the package are the missile simulation round System Integration and Check out (SICO), Javelin Restricted Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM), the Javelin operator manual and Technical Assistance (TAGM).
READL Ex-PM Benkirane slams media figurehead following Israel defence
Tools, spare parts, indoor/outdoor trainers, Javelin gunner and Ammunition Technical Officer and maintenance training are also included, alongside related logistics and programme support. The total estimated cost is $107.7 million.
Some experts say the proposed sale will support US foreign policy and national security objectives by bolstering the security of a non-NATO ally that they say plays a key role in regional security and peacekeeping operations in Africa.
They say the sale will also improve Tunisia’s long-term capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and meet its own national defence requirements.
Tunisia’s North African neighbour Morocco asked to buy 612 Javelin missiles and 200 launchers for in March for $260 million back in March.
The Javelin was originally developed and produced by the Javelin Joint Venture for the US Army and Marine Corps. Around 50,000 missiles had been delivered to the US and global customers by 2021 since production began bac in 1994.
The Javelin is a fire-and-forget weapon with automatic infrared guidance, allowing the user to seek cover immediately after launch. Its high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead can defeat modern tanks by a top-down attack, hitting them from above, where their armour is thinnest. It is also effective against fortifications in a direct attack flight.
To fire, the gunner places a cursor over the selected target. The Javelin command launch unit then sends a lock-on-before-launch signal to the missile. With its soft launch design, Javelin missiles can be fired safely from inside buildings or bunkers. The Javelin’s time of flight is approximately 14 seconds for 2km.
The missile made its combat debut in the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq where it was used in more than 5,000 engagements. It gained prominence in the Russian war in Ukraine, where it has been used extensively to destroy Russian armoured vehicles.
READ: Bids for pipeline in Morocco and Nigeria to be relaunched in 2025
The Javelin is now used by over a dozen countries in Europe, and international demand has been so high that the Javelin Joint Venture is working to nearly double its production rate of 2,100 Javelins per year to 3,960 per year by 2026.
Customers in the Middle East and North Africa include Jordan, Oman, the UAE and Qatar.
The Arab Weekly
