State Department Approves Estonia's Javelin FMS

The Department of State has approved the potential foreign military sale of Javelin missiles and related equipment to Estonia for $296 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Wednesday that the Estonian government plans to acquire 800 FGM-148F Javelin, including eight fly-to-buy, missiles and 72 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units.

The Javelin Joint Venture, a partnership between RTX and Lockheed Martin, will serve as the principal contractor for the FMS.

The State Department determined that the proposed transaction will have no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness. The Estonian military already uses Javelin missiles and will have no difficulty absorbing the weapon system.

What Can the Javelin Weapon System Do?

The GM-148F Javelin missile is an anti-tank guided munition that can be launched by a single person. It is a “fire-and-forget” missile that can target armored vehicles or adversary bunkers during the day or at night and in any kind of weather condition.

According to RTX, Javelin has been used in Afghanistan and Iraq and is expected to be in military inventories until 2050.

International Javelin Purchases

The Javelin Joint Venture is also supplying missiles and related equipment to Bulgaria. The RTX-Lockheed Martin partnership was also named the prime contractor for the European nation’s request to purchase 218 pieces of the anti-tank weapon system for $114 million.

In August 2024, the U.S. Army also awarded a $1.3 billion follow-on contract to Javelin Joint Venture to manufacture over 4,000 Javelins. The production contract aims to replenish the missile supply sent to Ukraine and to better meet increased demand for the weapon system worldwide.

Sponsor