G-24: Warhead Section - Infantry Drills

G-24. The Javelin missile uses a dual-charged warhead (see figure G-9) containing a precursor charge and main charge:

Precursor charge. The precursor charge is an HE AT shaped charge. Its purpose is to cause reactive armor on the target to detonate before the main charge reaches the armor. Once the reactive armor is penetrated, the target’s main hull is exposed to the warhead’s main charge. If the target is not equipped with reactive armor, the precursor provides additional explosives to penetrate the main armor.
Main charge. The main charge is the second charge of a dual-charge warhead and is also an HE-shaped charge. The primary warhead charge is designed to penetrate the target’s main armor to achieve a target kill.

Figure G-9. Javelin missile warhead

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Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad