If Ukrainian firepower is less destructive than that of the Russian army, it is nonetheless effective in limiting the advance of Vladimir Putin’s troops. With Western military support, Ukraine hit back and undermined the Kremlin’s plans. The Javelin, a fearsome rocket launcher, has even become a symbol of resistance on social media in Ukraine.
This weapon makes Russian soldiers tremble. In a viral video posted on Saturday, March 5, a Russian helicopter shred with a mighty rocket fired from the ground. The weapon that just shot down the Russian plane is undoubtedly an anti-aircraft missile. Stingreal nightmare for the soldiers of Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine really received from Western countries tons of military equipment deal with the Russian threat. And according to some observers, Russia’s military superiority is not yet complete. Deliveries include famous Stinger and Javelin missiles.
Stinger, American Trump
rocket launcher Sting East formidable. This American-made surface-to-air weapon is a classic in such conflicts. “The Russians thoroughly tested it, especially in Afghanistan, since it was delivered to the Mujahideen. This is a pipe weighing about 15 kg, 1.5 meters long, carried on the back of a man and it is extremely reliable as its success rate 95%it’s unstoppable for the opposing forces,” explains General Jérôme Pellistrandi, defense consultant for BFMTV.
Thus, the maneuverability of this rocket launcher allows deploy it anywheree where, as shown in the video at the top of the article. Like “fire and forget” (“fire and forget” in French), just shoot him so that he then takes care of hitting the target. Neither a plane nor a helicopter can resist him.
The situation, which worries the Kremlin, this weekend the Russian Foreign Ministry called on the countries of the European Union and NATO to “stop the supply of weapons” to Ukraine. The latter stated that Moscow was especially concerned because rockets Anti-aircraft stinger may be in hand terroristswhich poses a threat to airlines.”
However, Germany, by a historic decision, decided to send 500 missiles last week and even anticipates the upcoming delivery 2700 additional units.
Spear, symbol of resistance
Named FMG-148, A spear is also a US-origin fire-and-forget rocket launcher. Created for knock down chariots, it has several attacking features. Firstly, top attack against armored vehicles, the rocket, after launch, rises to about 160 meters in height and falls vertically on the target, promising devastating penetration into enemy targets.
The second function is horizontal direct attack, often used to destroy fortifications, buildings and helicopters, sending a rocket to a height of up to 60m. Proven weapon as US plans to keep Javelin juntil around 2050. This is a service life of almost 70 years after modernization, since its launch in the 1980s across the Atlantic.
According to the Ukrainian army, the reliability of which is difficult to verify, almost 60 tanks, 88 aircraft and more than 355 Russian vehicles would have been shot. Numbers that carry the hope of the Ukrainian people who erected the Javelin as a symbol, as evidenced by this tweet, reminiscent of the “Holy Spear”.
(2/8) The Javelin, a formidable HEAT anti-tank weapon, has been upgraded to wonder weapon status for \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6. It does inflict heavy casualties on Russian armored vehicles (Exhibit A) and has become a cult object, almost literally, of a part of the Twittersphere. pic.twitter.com/3GtbKyoX99
— Alexis Rapin (@alexis_rapin) March 1, 2022
NLAW, AT4 other maps of Ukraine
Javelins and other Stingers are not the only weapons that the Ukrainian army has. Sweden recently supplied rocket launchers to President Zelensky’s army AT4. Carl Bidt, former Prime Minister of Sweden, has indicated that his country will comply 5000 new units This weapon is especially useful in tight spaces due to its anti-deflagration device in the rear.
The \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 soldier is now equipped with an AT4 light anti-tank weapon supplied by \ud83c\uddf8\uddea. 5,000 will be delivered, and if 20% of them hit at any point, a thousand vehicles will be destroyed. pic.twitter.com/Nmc5l5dFSU
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) March 6, 2022
That WRONG (abbreviation for Light anti-tank weapons of a new generation) is also widely used by the Ukrainian army, like the weapons mentioned above, it is highly maneuverable.
[ \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa RUSSIE | \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 UKRAINE ]
📸A war scene showing a soldier in Ukrainian army uniform carrying an NLAW (man-portable anti-tank missile system), probably near Ivankov (Kyiv region).
— (Small) Think Tank (@L_ThinkTank) February 26, 2022
This Sunday, March 6, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that 20,000 fighters from other countries are ready to come and defend Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky announced in late February the creation of an “international legion” of foreign fighters to help him repel the Russian invasion. These new soldiers, as well as huge arms shipments into the country, have Moscow wary of a stalemate on the ground preventing further escalation of the conflict.