Posted on 03/02/2022 7:08:06 AM PST by 11th_VA
TOKYO -- Despite fielding a smaller army, Ukrainian forces have put up a tougher response than anticipated to Russia's invasion thanks in no small part to the multitude of Javelin missiles provided by Western nations.
Measuring 1.2 meters in length, the Javelin can be transported and fired by a single soldier. Yet the weapon, made by American contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, has enough firepower to pierce tank armor from 2.5 km away.
The traits have made the Javelin the weapon of choice for repelling tank invasions in urban settings. A Javelin operator can covertly approach and engage a target in that setting. The weapons could prove even more crucial as a 65 km long tank convoy moved its way toward Kyiv on Tuesday.
During President Barack Obama's term in office, the U.S. did not supply Ukraine with Javelins when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. But under President Donald Trump, Washington reversed course and decided to equip Ukraine with the weapons.
…
Advanced light weaponry that can inflict significant damage on enemy equipment is Ukraine's ace in the hole. The U.S. and European nations have supplied Ukraine with a variety of hardware.
Germany, among others, have decided to provide such arms as surface-to-air Stinger missiles and antitank missiles. Great Britain is believed to have provisioned NLAW, the next-generation antitank missile system developed jointly with Sweden.
Poland is preparing to deliver its homegrown portable air-defense missile system, the PZR Grom. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have each sent portable missiles to Ukraine.
To counter the invasion, Ukraine has seemingly chosen to adopt asymmetric warfare, which involves unconventional tactics when one side is severely outgunned by the other. As a result, Russia remained bogged down Tuesday in a war that was anticipated to be over within a few days, but has stretched to nearly a week.
In Ukraine, an image of a religious icon holding a Javelin launcher -- dubbed "St. Javelin" -- is circulating on social media. The depiction has come to symbolize the resistance.
The presence of Javelins and other light arms is not expected to compensate for Russia's overwhelming military capabilities, according to Gen. Kiyofumi Iwata, the retired chief of staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
"If Russia concentrates forces on Kyiv, it is likely that Ukraine will ultimately yield," said Iwata, adding that Russia's fierce onslaught appears to be aimed at gaining an upper hand in cease-fire talks.
I hear the stinger missiles have been quite effective too for the Ukrainians.
>Are there any “thermal chaff” counter-measures that can be used to confuse them?
Don’t see how, as the Javelin’s not usually direct fire. It goes straight up and then slams straight down into the top of the tank.
It’s way more than that. The Ukrainians have been able to take full advantage of hiding positions behind buildings and large trees to take down armored vehicles.
So the REAL issue is Javelins AND the right Administration.
Plus perhaps some simple willingness.
If Russia had invaded Israel, they wouldn’t have gotten 5 miles inland.
They made him a russian lieutenant,
They gave him a tank of his own,
He met with a javelin missile,
And out of his tank he was blown
And how about the invasion on our border?
“Are there any “thermal chaff” counter-measures that can be used to confuse them?”
Thermal chaff, no. The heat signal is too small to distract IR guidance. Flares have been used as counter measures for awhile now, with marginal degrees of success. Spamming out numerous flares early being the best option, but still no guarantee of success. The IR software keeps getting better and better.
Groan.
They are thermal imaging fire and forget. They acquire a thermal picture of the target (it’s a differentiation of temperature that creates the image). Then lock on that and fire. AI does the rest to home in on the image.
Russians use Shtora-1 mounted on the Russian T-80 and T-90 series tanks. Doesn't seem to be effective against the Javelin, maybe because the Javelin can hit the Russian tank from the top. Its a blind spot for the Schtora defense system.
Shtora-1[3] is an electro-optical jammer that disrupts semiautomatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) antitank guided missiles, laser rangefinders and target designators. Shtora-1 is a soft-kill, or passive-countermeasure system. The system was shown fitted to a Russian main battle tank during the International Defense Exposition, held in Abu Dhabi in 1995. The first known application of the system is the Russian T-90 main battle tank, which entered service in the Russian Army in 1993.[a] It is also available on the BMP-3M infantry fighting vehicle.
Javelin Missiles,
Lockheed and Raytheon got
A real Winner!
No one is stopping you from starting a new thread.
Javelin seems to be as advertised and thanks to President Trump, Ukraine is using them.
Now maybe it is time to send them a few A-10s. Maybe the EU declare Ukraine a No Fly Zone. EU Not NATO.
Research this please. It is effective out to 4200 meters.
It doesn’t look like the reactive armor worked very well.
Ukraine is a distraction from the border crisis.
Lol
Yes, Trump’s Javelins are more effective than Obama’s MREs.
So, according to you I do not have the right to an opinion, with all the other opinions stated on that column.
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