In with a bang

Boom: Sgt Shaun McGinley and Cpl Lee Powell fire a Javelin Missile..

WO2 Ian Broadbent, Cpl Lee Powell and Sgt Shaun Mc Ginley. Photos by Bill Cunneen

A Javelin Missile impacting a Centurion Tank at Mt Bundy in October 2004. Photo provided by DMO

By Pte Andrew Hetherington

THE first firing of the Javelin medium direct-fire guided weapon (DFGW) at the Singleton Training Area occurred during a recent Javelin Instructor training course.

The firing on the Javelin Outdoor Trainer (OT) course was part of Javelin’s introduction into service conducted by the Direct Fire Support Weapons (DFSW) Team, SOI.

Trainees from all regular infantry battalions and members from 2/14 LHR (QMI) observed the Javelin DFGW firing during gaining their range and weapon trade testing qualifications.

WO2 Ian Broadbent, OI/SSM DFSW Team at SOI, said 28 students had rotated through the school during the two-week period of instruction.

“This course was stage two of the Javelin Instructor’s course, and as such, trainees were qualified on the Javelin OT, which had recently arrived from the US,” he said

“Trainees in the first stage of Javelin training (conducted in late 2004 and early 2005) were qualified on the Command Launch Unit (CLU) and the Basic Skills Trainer (BST) (an indoor simulator).

“After the students have finished their training at the School of Infantry, they return to their units to train other members in the use of the Javelin DFGW system.

“This training will begin once units receive the Javelin equipment in their locations in April/May 2006.”

Sgt Sean McGinley, DFSW Team Instructor, enjoyed the chance to fire the Javelin for the first time.

“It was great to fire. It took a while for the missile to come out [of the tube], then the weapon pushed me off slightly,” he said.

“I got back on to the target and watched the missile’s flight down range.”

The target was a tank at 1900m.

WO2 Broadbent said “The soldier of today can adapt to the Javelin very easily.

“If you can play a software game that incorporates hand held controls, then you can quickly assimilate the operation of the CLU,” he said.

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