Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

JAVELIN TRAINER SET

Date Range From

1992

Date Range To

2005

Materials

METAL, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

15

Height

245.0

Length

141.0

Width

128.0

Description

A. TARGET SELECTION UNIT. ARMY GREEN BOX, STENCILED YELLOW TEXT ON SIDE OF BOX READS, “PART OF SET NO. 24 (S15).” HANDLES ON EITHER SIDE OF BOX. BOX OPENS AND LID DETACHES. HEIGHT , LENGTH ,WIDTH . 1. BOX. UPPER FACE OF TARGET SELECTION UNIT HAS NUMEROUS KNOBS AND BUTTONS. LCD SCREEN ON UPPER RIGHT OF FACE WHERE DATA OUTPUTS GIVEN. BLACK METAL PLATE ON UPPER LEFT OF FACE READS, “SHORT, TARGET SELECTION UNIT S/A, N.S.NO. 6920-99-722-2100, SER. NO. 302416, YR 1995, WT 16.3KGS.” 7 METAL CAPPED CONNECTOR BASES ALONG BOTTOM. HEIGHT 33.0, LENGTH 42.7, WIDTH 31.5. 2. LID. TOP INNER SURFACE OF LID IS A FLAP. THREE COLUMNS OF LIVE TERMINALS ON FLAP. TWO WING NUTS ON UPPER SECTION RELEASE LOCKING MECHANISM, AND FLAP OPENS TO REVEAL FIVE STORED CABLE ASSAYS. HEIGHT 15.0, LENGTH 42.7, WIDTH 31.5. 3. CABLE BLACK CABLE WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS ON BOTH ENDS. ONE END CONNECTED TO UNDERSIDE OF AIMING UNIT, WHITE TAG NEAR THIS END READS, “ AIMING UNIT. OTHER END CONNECTED INTO “LAUNCHER” TERMINAL OF TARGET SELECTION UNIT, WHITE TAG NEAR THIS END READS, “TARGET SELECTION UNIT. MIDWAY ALONG CABLE IS ATTACHED CARABINNER AND WHITE TAG READING, “S8-81-948XAA, NSNO 6920-99-742-8839. LENGTH 462, DIAMETER 4.5. 4. CABLE. BLACK SUPPLY CABLE WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS ON EITHER END. PINK TAPE WRAPPED AROUND CABLE NEAR BOTH END. BOTH ENDS HAVE METAL CAP WITH CHAINS THAT ATTACH TO THE CABLE. LENGTH 460.5, DIAMETER 3.7 5. BATTERY CABLE. BLACK CABLE WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT ONE END AND THREE BLADE CONNECTORS AT OTHER END. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAS METAL LID ATTACHED TO CABLE VIA CHAIN, AND TWO YELLOWED WHITE TAGS TAPED NEAR END, ONE READS, “6920-99-630-0640,” AND THE OTHER READS, “SHB 891.” THREE BLADE CONNECTORS AT OTHER END WITH COLOURED TAPE WRAPPED AROUND CORDS, COLOURS BLACK, GREEN, AND RED. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ATTACHES TO BATTERY LINK CABLE. LENGTH 93, DIAMETER 3.7. 6. BATTERY LINK CABLE. BLACK CABLE WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT EACH END. PINK TAPE WRAPPED AROUND CABLE NEAR BOTH ENDS AND IN MIDDLE. TWO METAL CAPS ON CHAINS ATTACHED TO CABLE VIA RINGS, WHICH ARE ALLOWED TO MOVE FREELY ALONG LENGTH OF CABLE. ONE END OF BATTER LINK CONNECTED TO 24V OUTPUT OF TARGET SELECTION UNIT. OTHER END CONNECTED TO BATTERY CABLE. LENGTH 138.2, DIAMETER 2.7. 7. CABLE. BLACK CABLE WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT ONE END AND FOUR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS AT OTHER END. CABLE RUNS FROM TARGET SELECTION UNIT TO SCOPE. WHITE TAG NEAR SINGLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR END READS, “TARGET SELECTION UNIT,” AND TAG FURTHER DOWN CABLE READS, “DSD 0054, 58-81-1110XABXC.” METAL CAP ON CHAIN ATTACHED TO CABLE VIA RING, WHICH IS ALLOWED TO MOVE FREELY ALONG LENGTH OF CABLE. CABLE BRANCHES AT OTHER END INTO TWO ONE-PIN PLUG CONNECTORS, ONE LABELED, “Y INPUT,” AND THE OTHER LABELED, “X INPUT.” TWO PINK WIRES EMERGE FROM BRANCHING POINT, ENDING IN RED AND BLACK ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS LABELED, “BRIGHTNESS,” AND, “GROUND,” RESPECTIVELY. LENGTH 172.5, DIAMETER 2.7. 8. CABLE BLACK, YELLOW AND RED CABLE WITH BLADE CONNECTORS ON EITHER END. UNKNOWN WHERE CABLE WAS USED. WHITE TAG ON MIDDLE OF CABLE READS, “6920-99-630-0641.” LENGTH 37.8, DIAMETER 2.6. 9. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CONNECTOR HAS BEEN SEVERED FROM ITS CABLE. BLUE PLASTIC WIRE SHEATH EVIDENT ON ONE END, OTHER END IS FEMALE WITH THREE SLOTS LABELLED A, B, AND C. UNKNOWN HOW THIS ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS USED. LENGTH 3.7, DIAMETER 2.4. B. AIMING UNIT. COMPRISED OF TWO MAIN PARTS, THE OPTICAL-HEAD (UPPER COMPONENT) AND CONTROL UNIT (LOWER COMPONENT). BOTH PARTS ARMY GREEN AND ROUGHLY BOX-SHAPED. SEMICIRCULAR CUTAWAY ON CONTROL UNIT WHICH ALLOWS AIMING UNIT TO REST ON MISSILE FIRING TUBE. FRONT SIDE OF AIMING UNIT WITH LENS COVERED WITH RED TAPE. SIDE HAS STENCILED YELLOW AND HANDWRITTEN BLACK TEXT READING, “5, PART OF SET NO. 5.” BACK OF AIMING UNIT HAS MONOCULAR WITH EYE SHIELD, LENS WITH BLACK CAP SET AT 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO UNIT, AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ON UNDERSIDE. BLACK METAL PLATE ADJACENT TO MONOCULAR READS, “N.S.NO 6920-99-775-4291, SERIAL NO. AVL/186, YEAR 1983.WHEN FACING REAR OF CONTROL UNIT, TRIGGER AT BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE. HEIGHT 40.5, LENGTH 31.5, WIDTH 25.5. C. MISSILE FIRING TUBE. TWO ARMY-GREEN TUBES OF DIFFERING DIAMETERS FUSED TOGETHER AT ENDS. ON TUBE WITH SMALLER DIAMETER, END IS CLOSED, WHITE STENCILED TEXT ALONG LENGTH READS, “TRAINER,” AND TWO YELLOW BANDS ALONG CIRCUMFERENCE. ON TUBE WITH LARGER DIAMETER, END HAS FIBERGLASS CAP, BLUE-GREEN STENCIL READS “2,” THREE YELLOW BANDS ALONG CIRCUMFERENCE, AND BLACK METAL PLATE THAT READS, “SHORTS, CANISTER TRAINER (S15), N.S.NO 6920-99-733-2801, SERIAL NO 300109, YR 1991, WEIGHT 2.5 KGS.” ON UNDERSIDE OF TUBE IS PLACE FOR CARABINEER TO ATTACH. LENGTH 140., DIAMETER 19.7. D. WEIGHT DROPPING MECHANISM. ARMY GREEN METAL TUBE WITH YELLOW STENCILED TEXT ALONG LENGTH READING, “WEIGHT DROPPING MECHANISM, NATO STOCKING NO 6920-99-770-9250.” AT BOTTOM OF CANISTER IS SQUARE PLATE BY WHICH IT IS MOUNTED UPRIGHT ON BASE SUB-ASSEMBLY. AT TOP OF CANISTER IS METAL BOX-LIKE APPARATUS WHICH HOUSES PULLEY. ROPE ATTACHED TO PULLEY, EITHER END OF ROPE WITH CARABINEER. ONE CARABINEER ATTACHES TO BASE OF METAL BOX, THE OTHER ATTACHES TO BASE OF MISSILE FIRING TUBE. HOLLOW TUBE ADJACENT TO METAL BOX ALLOWS FOR DAVIT SUB-ASSEMBLY UNIT TO ATTACH. HEIGHT 127.8, LENGTH 22.0, WIDTH 16.8. E. BASE SUB-ASSEMBLY. ARMY-GREEN METAL SUPPORT, SHAPED LIKE LETTER, “A” WITH TWO CROSSBARS. ADJUSTABLE FEET AT THREE CORNERS. YELLOW STENCILED TEXT ON CROSS BAR READS, “BASE SUB-ASSEMBLY, N.S.NO 6920-99-765-8347.” BLACK METAL PLATE ON BOTTOM OF EACH LEG OF “A”. ONE PLATE READS, “SHORTS, LAUNCH EFFECTS UNIT TRAINER N.S.NO 6920-99-661-6058, SER NO 302009, YR 1992, WT 65.5 KGS,” OTHER PLATE READS, “LAUNCH EFFECT UNIT TRAINER JAVELIN S15…DND CANADA MDN.” PAPER ADDRESS LABEL NEAR TOP OF “A.” IN BETWEEN CROSS BARS OF BASE SUB-ASSEMBLY IS PLATE WHERE WEIGHT DROPPING MECHANISM AFFIXES. HEIGHT 30.0, LENGTH 117.0, WIDTH 110.0. F. 1. DAVIT SUB ASSEMBLY. ARMY-GREEN METAL “L” SHAPED ROD. YELLOW STENCILED TEXT ALONG LENGTH OF ROD READS, “DAVIT SUB ASSEMBLY, N.S.NO 6920-9?-765-8346.” LONGER END OF ROD WITH BAND OF RED TAPE, UNPAINTED METAL SECTION INSERTS INTO HOLLOW TUBE OF WEIGHT DROPPING MECHANISM. SHORTER END OF ROD HAS PLACE FOR SPRING TO ATTACH. LENGTH 119.0, WIDTH 64.5. 2. SPRING WITH HOOK AT ONE END, CONNECTED TO ROPE SHEATHED IN PLASTIC AT OTHER END. AT END OF ROPE IS CARABINEER, WHICH ATTACHES TO TOP OF OPTICAL HEAD OF AIMING UNIT TRAINER. LENGTH 84.0, WIDTH 6.5. G. OSCILLOSCOPE. BEIGE BOX, HANDLE AND TORN WHITE LABEL ON TOP, LABEL WITH BLACK TEXT THAT READS, “LET.” MAIN FACE OF BOX WITH NUMEROUS SWITCHES, KNOBS AND BUTTONS. SCREEN IN UPPER LEFT. ABOVE SCREEN TEXT READS, “KIKUSUI 20 MHZ OSCILLOSCOPE COS 5020 TM.” ON LOWER CENTER OF FACE ARE TWO KNOBS WITH YELLOW BUTTONS ON TIPS, BUTTONS READ, “VAR.” SIDE OPPOSITE MAIN FACE WITH SEVERAL ELECTRICAL INPUTS AND THREE LABELS, COLOURS BLUE, WHITE, AND SILVER. SMALL METAL PLATE ON LOWER RIGHT READS, “11017019.” HEIGHT 21.5, LENGTH 42.5, WIDTH 21.5.

Subjects

ARMAMENT-AMMUNITION

Historical Association

MILITARY

History

ON 28 NOVEMBER 2008, THE DISPOSAL, SALES, ARTIFACTS AND LOANS BRANCH OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE GALT MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES TO DONATE ONE JAVELIN TRAINER MISSILE SET (PART TASK TRAINER) AND SUPPORTIVE EQUIPMENT. PHYSICAL POSSESSION OF THE TRAINER, PRE-AGREEMENT, WAS GAINED ON 10 AUGUST 2006. THE REQUEST TO OBTAIN THE LETHBRIDGE-SPECIFIC TRAINER BEGAN WITH A LETTER TO THE 18TH AIR DEFENSE (18AD) REGIMENT’S COMMANDING OFFICER MAJOR LESSARD ON 31 MAY 2005. AT THE TIME, KEVIN MACLEAN, THE GALT’S COLLECTIONS TECH AND FORMER MEMBER OF 18AD, KNEW THAT THE LETHBRIDGE-BASED EQUIPMENT WAS DEEMED OBSOLETE AND WAS LISTED FOR GENERAL STORES’ RETURN AND DISPOSITION. HE, THEREFORE, REQUESTED SOME SAMPLE JAVELIN EQUIPMENT FOR DONATION IN ORDER THAT THE LOCALLY-USED WEAPON WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN LETHBRIDGE IN PERPETUITY. IT TOOK THREE AND A HALF YEARS BEFORE THE TRANSFER WAS GRANTED FINAL APPROVAL BY THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER MATERIALS (GOVERNMENT OF CANADA). THE JAVELIN MISSILE SYSTEM WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED BY THE CANADIAN FORCES IN 1991 AS PART OF AN IMMEDIATE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENT TO PROTECT CANADIAN NAVY SHIPS IN THE PERSIAN GULF AGAINST ATTACK FROM IRAQI AIRCRAFT. AT THE SAME TIME, WORLD EVENTS LED THE CF TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE ITS REGULAR FORCE MANPOWER. THE ARMY, CONSEQUENTLY, FOUND IT HAD AN OVER ABUNDANCE OF JAVELIN WEAPONS AND A SHORTAGE OF GUNNERS TO USE THEM. ‘TOTAL FORCE’ WAS THE CANADIAN ARMY’S SOLUTION TO THE MANPOWER SHORTAGE. IT PROPOSED THE INTEGRATION OF THE REGULAR FORCE AND RESERVIST SOLDIERS AT RE-ROLLED AIR DEFENCE ARTILLERY UNITS, THUS, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SOLDIERS (RESERVISTS) TO OPERATE THE JAVELIN. LETHBRIDGE 20TH INDEPENDENT FIELD BATTERY, RCA WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF THREE NATIONAL SITES TO IMPLEMENT THE CONCEPT. CONSEQUENTLY, THE BATTERY’S REGULAR FORCE REPRESENTATION INCREASED FROM 4 TO 42 SOLDIERS AND THE UNIT’S 105 HOWITZERS WERE REPLACED WITH THE JAVELIN ANTI-AIRCRAFT SYSTEM. THE 20TH BATTERY TOOK DELIVERY OF ITS FIRST JAVELIN-RELATED EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING THE TRAINER, IN THE FALL OF 1992 IN ADVANCE OF THE BATTERY’S RE-ROLLING. ON 10 NOVEMBER 1992, THE UNIT WAS RE-NAMED THE 18TH AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT AND TASKED WITH THE JOB OF VERY LOW-LEVEL AIR DEFENSE (VLLAD). ON 15 MAY 1993, THE REGIMENT’S NEW MANDATE WAS OFFICIALLY AND PUBLICLY RECOGNIZED AT A CEREMONY HELD IN THE CITY’S GALT GARDENS. THE LASER-GUIDED S-15 JAVELIN WAS A VERY SHORT-RANGE, AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY MISSILE SYSTEM (VSHORAD) EMPLOYED TO COUNTER HOSTILE AIRCRAFT (HELICOPTERS OR FIXED WING) AT LOW ALTITUDES. IT WAS “MAN-PORTABLE”, FIRED FROM EITHER THE SHOULDER OR FROM A MOUNTED LIGHTWEIGHT MULTIPLE LAUNCHER (LML) WHICH CONTAINED THREE MISSILES, HAD A RANGE OF 5.5KM AND WAS CAPABLE OF SPEEDS OF MACH 1.7 AND AN ALTITUDE OF 1 KM. A JAVELIN DETACHMENT INCLUDED A CREW OF THREE (3) PERSONNEL. THE JAVELIN TRAINER MISSILE SET ALLOWED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING OF GUNNERS BEFORE THEY PROCEEDED TO AN ACTUAL LIVE MISSILE FIRING. ANNUAL LIVE FIRINGS (KNOWN AS EXERCISE BLAZING ARCHER) OF THE JAVELIN BY SOLDIERS OF THE 18AD WERE CONDUCTED PRIMARILY AT CANADIAN FORCES BASE SUFFIELD. THE COST OF THE MISSILES WAS EXPENSIVE AND A LIMITED SUPPLY OF MISSILES MEANT THAT THE GUNNERS COULD ONLY FIRE A COUPLE PER YEAR. ACCORDING TO GLEN MILLER, RETIRED WARRANT OFFICER AT THE 18AD, A GUNNER WAS ALLOWED TO FIRE A LIVE MISSILE ONLY AFTER HE/SHE COMPLETED A MINIMUM 1200 SIMULATED ENGAGEMENTS ON THE TRAINER. ADDITIONALLY, THE GUNNERS HAD TO ACHIEVE A MINIMAL SCORE BASED ON 100 SIMULATED DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENTS KNOWN AS THE 10 SET FINAL. FINALLY, AS PART OF THEIR APPROVAL TO FIRE A LIVE MISSILE, GUNNERS WERE REQUIRED TO PASS AN AIRCRAFT RECOGNITION TEST. FOUR TRAINERS WERE IN USE AT THE 18AD AND, ACCORDING TO MILLER, ANY ONE OF THEM COULD BE USED IN A “CLASS SETTING OR IN THE FIELD WITH LIVE AIRCRAFT”. UPON FULFILLMENT OF THE EXERCISE, SOLDIERS RECEIVED THEIR ANNUAL JAVELIN COMPETENCY CERTIFICATION. THE TRAINER, COMMENTED MILLER IN 2008, SAW VERY LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY OVER ITS LIFE AT 18AD. IT “LACKED THE DYNAMIC INTERFACE OF ANY SENSE OF REALISM. IT ONLY PROVIDED TRAINING TO THE OPERATOR OF THE MISSILE. MOST GUNNERS OF TODAY FOUND MORE COMPLEX GAMES ON THEIR XBOX AT HOME. THIS SYSTEM USED AN OVAL TO REPRESENT A TARGET WITH A SINGLE LINE THROUGH IT TO INDICATE A FIXED WING OR A LINE ON TOP OF THE CIRCLE FOR A HELICOPTER.” FURTHER, HE SAID, “WHENEVER A TRAINER WAS SENT FOR REPAIR, IT WAS SEVERAL MONTHS PLUS, TO GET IT WORKING.” SHORTFALLS IDENTIFIED WITH THE TRAINER LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CANADIAN-BUILT JAVELIN SIMULATOR. THE SIMULATORS WERE INSTALLED AT FOUR LOCATIONS IN THE LATE 1990S: THE CANADIAN FORCES’ ARTILLERY SCHOOL AT CFB CHATAM, NEW BRUNSWICK; 18AD; QUEBEC CITY; AND PEMBROKE, ONT. THE NEW SIMULATOR ALLOWED FOR THE TESTING OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE DETACHMENT. IT ADDITIONALLY HAD THE CAPACITY TO RECORD DATA AND VIDEO OF THE DETACHMENT FOR PLAY BACK. IN THE EARLY 2000S, A NEW INITIATIVE BEGAN TO MOUNT THE JAVELIN ON RE-ROLLED 6X6 ARMOURED VEHICLES (GRIZZLY) IN ORDER TO PROVIDE CLOSE-IN ANTI-AIRCRAFT SUPPORT WHILE “ON THE FLY”. THIS “WLAV LIFE EXTENSION PROJECT” CALLED FOR 23 JAVELIN-EQUIPPED GRIZZLY CONVERSIONS DUBBED ‘WOLVERINE’. THE PROTOTYPE WAS TRIALED BY 18AD REGIMENT FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL 2002 AND WAS “HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL”, BUT WAS DERAILED FOR REASONS WHICH MAY HAVE INCLUDED A SHORTAGE OF GRIZZLY VEHICLES. THE CF WITHDREW THE JAVELIN MISSILE FROM ITS INVENTORY IN 2004. NO ALTERNATE MISSILE SYSTEM WAS SECURED TO REPLACE THE S-15 JAVELIN AND THE CF’S VSHORAD ROLE WAS ABANDONED. CONSEQUENTLY, JAVELIN UNITS, SUCH AS 18AD, WERE REASSIGNED TO OTHER TASKS. ON OR AROUND 12 MARCH, 2005 THE 18TH AD REGIMENT ENGAGED IN EXERCISE BLAZING ARCHER AT CFB SUFFIELD FOR THE VERY LAST TIME, FIRING 73 JAVELIN MISSILES. ON 14 APRIL 2005, THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD PUBLISHED NEWS OF THE REGIMENT’S CHANGES, RESULTING FROM THE LACK OF A SUCCESSOR TO THE S-15 JAVELIN. CAPTAIN MIKE DUGUAY NOTED IN THE ARTICLE THAT, “(THE REGIMENT) WILL BE LOSING THE AIR DEFENCE ROLE AND MOVING TO SOMETHING MORE RELEVANT.” CONSEQUENTLY, “A LARGE NUMBER OF REGULAR FORCE PEOPLE HERE (NUMBERING 38 ALL RANKS IN LETHBRIDGE) WILL BE DEPARTING ON POSTINGS ALL ACROSS CANADA”. THE MOVE, SAID DUGUAY, WAS DUE TO THERE BEING “NO AIR THREAT ANY LONGER… SO THE NEED FOR AIR DEFENCE IS BEING SEEN AS A LUXURY THAT CAN BE DISCARDED.” THE POST-JAVELIN ERA HERALDED THE REGIMENT’S RETURN TO ITS RESERVIST, FIELD ARTILLERY ORIGINS, FOUNDED BY BRIGADIER GENERAL J.S. STEWART IN 1908. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE PERMANENT FILE AND REFERENCE MATERIAL: PARTS LIST, STARBURST TRAINER SET, GUIDED MISSILE SYSTEM (WHITE BINDER ON BOOKSHELF).

Catalogue Number

P20060013000

Acquisition Date

2007-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail