In the coming days, soldiers of the National Guard of the American state of Illinois will come to Poland to train soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces how to use Javelin anti-tank guided missiles and conduct courses for sharpshooters.

The Territorial Defense Forces Training Center (CSWOT) in Toruń informed that “over a dozen courses for Javelin ATGM operators, battlefield medics and snipers will be attended by a total of over 800 Territorials from various territorial defence brigades from all over the country”. The training will last until August.

The Javelin is an American-made fire-and-forget anti-tank missile. The missile is guided by its own thermal imaging head. The Territorial Defense Forces use the FGM-148F version of the missile, which allows it to hit armoured targets at a distance of over 4 kilometres. The CLU (Command Launch Unit) launcher is operated by a team of two soldiers.

On June 17, 2021, at the training ground near Toruń in Kijewo, a tactical training in shooting the Javelin ATGM was carried out. It ended the first courses for instructors, weapon technicians and system operators. Since then, CSWOT has regularly conducted courses and training for Javelin ATGM operators.

Each two-week course for Javelin ATGM operators is divided into two theoretical and practical parts. Soldiers learn about the structure and operation of the launchers, the secrets of the tactics of their use, and learn how to use anti-tank guided missiles in practice with the use of specialized simulators that allow soldiers to practice various tactical scenarios. It helps operators acquire the skills to perform tasks in various situations that may appear on the real battlefield.

Adrian Andrzejewski