FGM-148 Javelin vs Spike (missile): Specs Compared

FGM-148 Javelin — licensed reference photograph

AAnti-tank weapons

FGM-148 Javelin

Portable guided anti-armour system

Reference photo · Configuration may differ

Credit

U.S. Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

BAnti-tank weapons

Spike (missile)

Anti-tank guided missile

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

FGM-148 Javelinmissile

1.1 m

Length source ↗

Spike (missile)Spike ER

1.67 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

20 of 58 rows sourced on both sides

1.1mmissile

1.67mSpike ER

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

1.1 m

missile

Single source

1.1 m (43 in) (missile)^[source]

1.67 m

Spike ER

Single source

1.2 m

Spike MR/LR

Single source

Spike MR/LR : 1,200 mm (3 ft 11 in) Spike ER : 1,670 mm (5 ft 6 in)^[source]

127mm

170mmSpike ER

Diameter

All recorded figures & sources

0.127 m

Diameter

Single source

127 mm (5.0 in)^[source]

0.17 m

Spike ER

Single source

0.13 m

Spike MR/LR

Single source

Spike MR/LR : 130 mm (5.1 in) Spike ER : 170 mm (6.7 in)^[source]

22.5kg

187kg

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

6.4 kg

detachable CLU

Single source

22.452822 kg

Javelin · missile and command launch unit together · Mass

Single source

15.9 kg

missile in launch tube

Single source

22.3 kg

ready to fire

Single source

22.3 kg (49 lb), ready to fire 6.4 kg (14 lb), detachable CLU 15.9 kg (35 lb), missile in launch tube^[source]

49.5 pounds^[source]Javelin · missile and command launch unit together

1 kg

Battery

Single source

5 kg

Command & Launch Unit

Single source

55 kg

Launcher

Single source

14 kg

Launcher + 4 Missiles · source measurement 4

Single source

9.6 kg

Launcher + 4 Missiles · source measurement 9

Single source

187 kg

Launcher + 4 Missiles Spike MR/LR from Tripod : Missile Round

Single source

34 kg

Spike ER from Helicopter : Missile Round

Single source

4 kg

Thermal Sight Spike SR : Missile Round

Single source

2.8 kg

Tripod

Single source

Spike ER from Helicopter : Missile Round: 34 kg (75 lb) Launcher: 55 kg (121 lb) Launcher + 4 Missiles: 187 kg (412 lb) Spike MR/LR from Tripod : Missile Round: 14 kg (31 lb) Command & Launch Unit: 5 kg (11 lb) Tripod: 2.8 kg (6.2 lb) Battery: 1 kg (2.2 lb) Thermal Sight: 4 kg (8.8 lb) Spike SR : Missile Round: 9.6 kg (21 lb)^[source]

4.8kmEffective; From vehicle

0.6–50kmEffective; Air

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4.75 km

Effective; From vehicle

Single source

4 km

Effective; Lightweight CLU

Single source

2.5 km

Effective; Original CLU

Single source

Original CLU: 2,500 m (1.6 mi) Lightweight CLU: 4,000 m (2.5 mi) From vehicle: 4,750 m (2.95 mi)^[source]

0.6–50 km

Effective; Air

Single source

0.4–8 km

Effective; Spike ER

Single source

0.6–32 km

Effective; Spike ER 2

Single source

0.4–10 km

Effective; Spike ER 2 Spike NLOS : Land

Single source

0.2–4 km

Effective; Spike LR

Single source

0.2–5.5 km

Effective; Spike LR 2

Single source

0.2–2.5 km

Effective; Spike MR

Single source

0.05–1.5 km

Effective; Spike SR

Single source

Spike SR : 50–1,500 m (55–1,640 yd) Spike MR : 200–2,500 m (220–2,730 yd) Spike LR : 200–4,000 m (220–4,370 yd) Spike LR 2 : 200–5,500 m (220–6,010 yd) Spike ER : 400–8,000 m (440–8,750 yd) Spike ER 2 : 400–10,000 m (440–10,940 yd) Spike NLOS : Land: 600–32,000 m (660–35,000 yd) Air: 600–50,000 m (660–54,680 yd)^[source]

1.2m

—

Barrel length

All recorded figures & sources

1.2 m

Barrel length

Single source

1.2 m (47 in)^[source]

127mm

—

Calibre

All recorded figures & sources

127 mm

Calibre

Single source

127 mm (5.0 in)^[source]

8.4kgWarhead weight

—

Warhead mass

All recorded figures & sources

8.4 kg

Warhead weight

Single source

8.4 kg (19 lb)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

FGM-148 Javelin and Spike (missile) configuration
Specification	FGM-148 Javelin	Spike (missile)
Crew	1 or 2^[source]	—
Type	Anti-tank missile Surface-to-surface missile Surface-to-air missile^[source]	Anti-tank guided missile^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	Israel^[source]
In service	1996–present^[source]	1981–present (Spike NLOS) 1997–present^[source]
Used by	See Operators^[source]	See Operators (41 countries ordered it )^[source]
Wars	War in Afghanistan Iraq War Syrian Civil War Second Libyan Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]	1982 Lebanon War Second Intifada Iraq War 2006 Lebanon War Afghanistan War 2008 Gaza War 2014 Gaza War 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Second Nagorno-Karabakh War 2023 Gaza War Twelve-Day War 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict^[source]
Designer	Texas Instruments & Martin Marietta , now Raytheon Technologies & Lockheed Martin^[source]	Rafael Advanced Defense Systems^[source]
Designed	June 1989^[source]	Late 1970s (Spike NLOS)^[source]
Manufacturer	Raytheon & Lockheed Martin^[source]	Rafael Advanced Defense Systems & EUROSPIKE GmbH Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Diehl Defence Rheinmetall Defence Electronics ST Engineering (Singapore)^[source]
Unit cost	US$216,717 (G-model missile only, FY2021) US$240,000 (missile only, export cost, FY2019) US$249,700 (Lightweight CLU only, FY2021)^[source]	$249,966 (US Army Spike NLOS, 2022), $140,000 (German Spike LR, 2017)^[source]
Produced	1996–present^[source]	Spike NLOS : Since early 1980s Spike MR/LR/ER : Since 1997 Spike SR : Since 2012^[source]
No. built	50,000 missiles (12,000 CLUs)^[source]	40,000 (2023) (7,000 fired)^[source]
Variants	See: § Variants^[source]	See variants^[source]
Sights	Optical sight & thermal imaging^[source]	10× Optical sight^[source]
Warhead	Tandem-charge HEAT^[source]	HEAT Tandem-charge^[source]
Detonation mechanism	Contact fuze^[source]	Piezoelectric trigger^[source]
Blast yield	Penetration: Stated as being in excess of 30 in (760 mm) RHA^[source]	—
Propellant	Solid-fuel^[source]	—
Flight ceiling	150 m (490 ft) (top attack mode) 60 m (200 ft) (direct attack mode)^[source]	—
Guidance system	Infrared homing^[source]	Target Acquisition : Infrared seeker CCD Missile Guidance: IIR homing CCD CCD + IIR^[source]
Launch platform	Man-portable launcher^[source]	—
Launch platforms	shoulder-fired^[source]Javelin	—
Rate of fire	—	Ready to launch: 30 s Time to reload: 15 s^[source]
Engine	—	Solid-propellant rocket^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · Albania Reported operator · Australia Reported operator · Bahrain Reported operator · Croatia Reported operator · Czechia Reported operator · Estonia Reported operator · France Reported operator · Georgia Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Ireland Reported operator · Jordan Reported operator · Libya Reported operator · Lithuania Reported operator · New Zealand Reported operator · Norway Reported operator · Oman Reported operator · Poland Reported operator · Qatar Reported operator · Russia Reported operator · Saudi Arabia Reported operator · Taiwan Reported operator · Turkey Reported operator · Tunisia Reported operator · Ukraine Reported operator · United Arab Emirates Reported operator · United Kingdom Reported operator · United States	—

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FGM-148 Javelin

Spike (missile)

Crew

1 or 2^[source]

—

Type

Anti-tank missile Surface-to-surface missile Surface-to-air missile^[source]

Anti-tank guided missile^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

Israel^[source]

In service

1996–present^[source]

1981–present (Spike NLOS) 1997–present^[source]

Used by

See Operators^[source]

See Operators (41 countries ordered it )^[source]

Wars

War in Afghanistan Iraq War Syrian Civil War Second Libyan Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]

1982 Lebanon War Second Intifada Iraq War 2006 Lebanon War Afghanistan War 2008 Gaza War 2014 Gaza War 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Second Nagorno-Karabakh War 2023 Gaza War Twelve-Day War 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict^[source]

Designer

Texas Instruments & Martin Marietta , now Raytheon Technologies & Lockheed Martin^[source]

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems^[source]

Designed

June 1989^[source]

Late 1970s (Spike NLOS)^[source]

Manufacturer

Raytheon & Lockheed Martin^[source]

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems & EUROSPIKE GmbH Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Diehl Defence Rheinmetall Defence Electronics ST Engineering (Singapore)^[source]

Unit cost

US$216,717 (G-model missile only, FY2021) US$240,000 (missile only, export cost, FY2019) US$249,700 (Lightweight CLU only, FY2021)^[source]

$249,966 (US Army Spike NLOS, 2022), $140,000 (German Spike LR, 2017)^[source]

Produced

1996–present^[source]

Spike NLOS : Since early 1980s Spike MR/LR/ER : Since 1997 Spike SR : Since 2012^[source]

No. built

50,000 missiles (12,000 CLUs)^[source]

40,000 (2023) (7,000 fired)^[source]

Variants

See: § Variants^[source]

See variants^[source]

Sights

Optical sight & thermal imaging^[source]

10× Optical sight^[source]

Warhead

Tandem-charge HEAT^[source]

HEAT Tandem-charge^[source]

Detonation mechanism

Contact fuze^[source]

Piezoelectric trigger^[source]

Blast yield

Penetration: Stated as being in excess of 30 in (760 mm) RHA^[source]

—

Propellant

Solid-fuel^[source]

—

Flight ceiling

150 m (490 ft) (top attack mode) 60 m (200 ft) (direct attack mode)^[source]

—

Guidance system

Infrared homing^[source]

Target Acquisition : Infrared seeker CCD Missile Guidance: IIR homing CCD CCD + IIR^[source]

Launch platform

Man-portable launcher^[source]

—

Launch platforms

shoulder-fired^[source]Javelin

—

Rate of fire

—

Ready to launch: 30 s Time to reload: 15 s^[source]

Engine

—

Solid-propellant rocket^[source]

Reported operators

Reported operator · Albania
Reported operator · Australia
Reported operator · Bahrain
Reported operator · Croatia
Reported operator · Czechia
Reported operator · Estonia
Reported operator · France
Reported operator · Georgia
Reported operator · Indonesia
Reported operator · Ireland
Reported operator · Jordan
Reported operator · Libya
Reported operator · Lithuania
Reported operator · New Zealand
Reported operator · Norway
Reported operator · Oman
Reported operator · Poland
Reported operator · Qatar
Reported operator · Russia
Reported operator · Saudi Arabia
Reported operator · Taiwan
Reported operator · Turkey
Reported operator · Tunisia
Reported operator · Ukraine
Reported operator · United Arab Emirates
Reported operator · United Kingdom
Reported operator · United States

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