Tata Power has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with US-based Javelin Joint Venture for its Strategic Engineering Division (SED) to explore development and production of anti-armour missile system.
The Javelin Joint Venture is a partnership between Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin. The LOI establishes a framework for future technological cooperation among the three leading companies of the globe.
As part of the LOI, Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) and Tata Power's Strategic Engineering Division will create a strategy to co-develop and produce the Javelin missile system and integrate platform mounts to meet India's defence requirements. As per the plan, even ground combat vehicle, dismounted infantry and rotorcraft applications will be manufactured jointly.
This move comes at a time when the government is working towards having private participation in the defence sector and Make in India initiative.
"This agreement brings together three world leaders in aerospace and defence technology to extend Javelin to new customers, new applications and new platforms. With this deal, we are also reinforcing our continued support of the 'Make in India' initiative," said John Halvey, Javelin Joint Venture president at Raytheon Missile Systems.
Rahul Chaudhry, chief executive officer at Tata Power SED shared, "Now, our partnership with the Javelin Joint Venture will bring the world's best technology to our soldiers enabling battlefield supremacy. Indian industry will benefit immensely from the depth and range of this planned technology transfer and co-development."
On Wednesday, Tata Power's stock touched a 71-week high at Rs 78.65; the previous high was on April 23, 2015, when it's share price was at Rs 79. The stocks opened at Rs 77.05, fell to a low of Rs 76.55, but later touch 16-month high to end at Rs 78.25 per share.
Javelin Portable Anti-Tank Missile
The Javelin system consists of the CLU and the round. With a carry weight of 6.4kg, the CLU incorporates a passive target acquisition and fire control unit with integrated day sight and thermal imaging capabilities.
The sight uses DRS Technologies' second-generation thermal imaging technology, based on the standard advanced Dewar assembly (SADA IIIA). The company also provides the quieter, dual-opposed piston coolers for the sight.
The gunner's controls for the missile system are on the CLU. The day sight is equipped with x 4 magnification and the night sight with x 4 and x 9 magnification optics.
Image: globalsecurity.org
The round consists of the Javelin missile and the ATK (Alliant Techsystems) launch tube assembly. The range of the missile is 2,500m. Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance.
The missile is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker, which is based on a cadmium mercury telluride (CdHgTe) 64 x 64 staring focal plane array in the 8 micron to 12 micron waveband. BAE Systems Avionics is providing the infrared seekers for the British army's missiles.
The tandem warhead is fitted with two shaped charges: a precursor warhead to initiate explosive reactive armour and a main warhead to penetrate base armour. The propulsion system is a two-stage solid propellant design, which provides a minimum smoke soft launch.
The Block 1 missile upgrade includes an improved rocket motor that reduces time of flight, an enhanced warhead effective against a greater range of targets, 2,500m of improved probability of hit / kills and improvements to the command launch unit and software. In 2008, the improved Block 1 missile full material release was received and the US army has stockpiled the first production lots.
Other improvements include a digital display, software processing enhancement and remote view of the gunner display in an RS-170 standard video format. The future Javelin will have fragmentation for anti-personnel effects and a multipurpose warhead (MPWH) with shaped charges for armoured vehicles.
Javelin missile system operation
The system is deployed and ready to fire in less than 30s and the reload time is less than 20s. The missile is mounted on the CLU and the gunner engages the target using the sight on the CLU, by placing a curser box over the image of the target. The gunner locks on the automatic target tracker in the missile by sending a lock-on-before-launch command to the missile. When the system is locked-on, the missile is ready to fire and the gunner does not carry out post launch tracking or missile guidance.
Unlike laser beam riding or conventional wire or fibre-optic cable guided missiles, Javelin is autonomously guided to the target after launch, leaving the gunner free to reposition or reload immediately after launch.
A soft launch ejects the missile from the launch tube to give a low-recoil shoulder launch. The soft launch enables firing from inside buildings or covered positions. Once the missile is clear, the larger propellant in the second stage is ignited and the missile is propelled towards the target. The weapon has two attack modes, direct or top attack.
The gunner selects direct attack mode to engage covered targets, bunkers, buildings and helicopters.
The top attack mode is selected against tanks, in which case the Javelin climbs above and strikes down on the target to penetrate the roof of the tank where there is the least armour protection.
The missile is launched at an 18° elevation angle to reach a peak altitude of 150m in top attack mode and 50m in direct fire mode.
Image: globalsecurity.org
Variants
FGM-148A, initial version of the Javelin;
FGM-148B, improved version of the Javelin;
FGM-148C, improved version of the Javelin;
FGM-148D, export version of the Javelin;
FGM-148F, missile fitted with multi-purpose warhead. It is much more effective against enemy personnel, weapon crews, buildings and lightly armored or unarmored vehicles. This missile is still lethal against tanks.
FGM-148
|
Entered service
|
1996
|
Armor penetration
|
800 mm
|
Range
|
2 500 m
|
Weight
|
22.3 kg
|
Missile length
|
1.1 m
|
Launch tube length
|
1.2 m
|
Missile diameter
|
1.27 m
|
Launch tube diameter
|
1.42 m
|
Carry weight
|
22.3 kg
|
CLU weight
|
~ 6.4 kg
|
Warhead
|
Tandem HEAT
|
Warhead weight
|
8.4 kg
|
Guidance system
|
Imaging infrared
|
