The Russian military is clearly superior to Ukraine, the country they are attacking. But Ukraine promised not to give up without a fight. One of their mainstay weapons to ward off Russian attacks is the Javelin anti-tank missile.
Ukrainian armaments are assisted by several countries, especially the United States, including the supply of the Javelin. This missile was first used to destroy Iraqi T-72 tanks in the Operation Iraqi Freedom military operation.
Recently, hundreds of Javelin have been handed over by the US to Ukraine for self-defense. Named the FGM-148 Javelin, this missile has been in service in warfare since 1996 and was manufactured by the companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.
The Javelin can be operated in a tactical vehicle and launched to destroy tanks from a distance. It can also be carried by soldiers and fired.
Javelin is best used in stealth, but unfortunately especially in eastern Ukraine, the surface is flat. This could let the Russian army know of its existence and destroy it. Not to mention if Russia is after him from the air.
"Basically, the Javelin's goal is to slow down the Russian invasion and not to stop it completely. Javelin can cause damage to Russian assets and potentially slow them down or change the course of the attack," the National Interest media quoted us as saying, Saturday (26/2/2022). .
Javelin can damage tanks by targeting them from above, which is where tank material is most vulnerable. Since January 2019, a total of 5,000 Javelin missiles have been fired in various wars.
The system is equipped with an infrared tracker and can reach a maximum altitude of 150 meters. This missile can also be used to destroy buildings or even helicopters.
The price of the Javelin system is very expensive. One unit of the launch system in 2002 was priced at USD 126 thousand and each missile cost USD 78 thousand .