Javelin missile scores perfect in U.K. land vehicle tests

PARIS, June 15 (UPI) -- Raytheon and Lockheed Martin's Javelin Joint Venture team has successfully demonstrated the missile's ability to engage targets beyond its current 1.5-mile range requirement.

The demonstration came during a series of five ground vehicle launch tests for the British army at the Salisbury Plain Training Area in England, Raytheon said in a statement Wednesday.

The Javelin missiles were mounted on a Spartan armored fighting vehicle and fired with a Kongsberg M151 Remote Weapon Station.

Each missile flew between three quarters of a mile and 2.6 miles hitting the stationary ground target in each test.

The demonstration confirms Javelin's greater-than-94 percent reliability rate and show that infantry can confidently engage targets at ranges that surpass other weapons in the class, Raytheon said.

Javelin is a compact, lightweight missile designed for single-soldier operations in any environment that is fielded by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.