Overview
- The Javelin Joint Venture of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin said it delivered the first Lightweight Command Launch Units to the U.S. Army on May 26, marking the initial fielding of the next‑generation launcher.
- The LWCLU reduces launcher weight by about 25 percent, shrinks physical size by roughly 30 percent, and provides twice the target detection and recognition range of the legacy Command Launch Unit.
- Pentagon testing identified a new software fault in 2023 that delayed fielding; the companies and the Army report the fault was fixed in 2024 and the 2025 operational test report confirmed the problem was resolved.
- Raytheon invested $22 million to modernize the Tucson production line to raise output, a step taken in response to heavy Javelin use and large missile transfers to Ukraine that strained inventories and production capacity.
- Company statements say the LWCLU is backward‑compatible with all Javelin missile variants, but neither the manufacturers nor the Army have disclosed how many launchers were delivered, their cost, or which units received them.