Bulgaria Set to Chance Its Arm With Javelin

Bulgaria is seeking to buy Javelin FGM-148F missiles for the first time in a deal worth $114 million to U.S. defence contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

As revealed in a press statement from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) last week, the U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of 218 of the munitions to the Bulgarian Government.

Also included in the potential deal are lightweight command launch units, trainers, and a variety of other associated equipment, logistical elements and programme support.

The DSCA statement noted: "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally... The proposed sale will improve Bulgaria’s long-term defence capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

It's believed this will be the first time Bulgaria's forces have adopted the Javelin system; its soldiers had previously been equipped with Soviet/Russian-designed anti-armour munitions.

Continuously upgraded since their first introduction in 1996, Javelin FGM-148 missiles are portable anti-tank fire-and-forget weapons guided via an infrared targeting system. The projectiles adopt a top-down attack method, hitting targets where their armour is thinnest, and employing a dual-detonation tandem charge warhead to counter any explosive reactive armour (ERA) systems deployed.

As per a Lockheed Martin press statement, by the middle of 2021 some 50,000 missiles had already been sold and delivered to customers around the globe.

• You can read the full details of the procurement on the DSCA website