THOUSANDS of anti-tank weapons have been sent out to Ukraine in the fight against Russian forces and the Javelin missile has emerged as a firm favourite.
The American-made portable projectile has been key in destroying Russian tanks – though it’s by no means a silver bullet to winning the conflict.
1
? Read our Russia – Ukraine live blogfor the very latest updates
Among the 17,000 anti-tank weapons received from numerous western nations, several hundred are FGM-148 Javelin launchers.
According to Ukraine, 444 Russian tanks have been blasted to pieces thanks to such technology so far – though it’s unclear exactly how many were because of the Javelin.
So popular and successful, it has been dubbed “Saint Javelin” after a meme featuring Mary Magdalene and the missile went viral.
The defence weapon costs $178,000/£135,600, while each replacement missile comes in at $78,000/£59,200.
With two explosive charges, the missile is capable of tearing through some of the toughest tanks, particularly the Russian T-90.
It’s best operated with two soldiers but can be used by a lone fighter too.
The Javelin works by locking onto a target’s thermal picture using heat sensors.
Fighters are able to look through a command launch unit and choose from various targets and attack types, with a disposable launch tube found on the back.
Most read in News Tech
It can go as far as 2.5 miles, giving soldiers a decent distance to strike.
“The very information about the presence of Javelin in the service of the Armed Forces causes panic among occupiers,” Ukraine’s Armed Forces tweeted.
It’s also thought to be pretty easy to train people to use, which is ideal in the current crisis.
A US soldier told AFP “if you played a video game, you can use it”.
Despite the weapon’s success, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says what his country really needs is air defence systems and fighter jets.
All you need to know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Everything you need to know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…
In other news, prudish Nasa has admitted it may have to study sex in space if humanity is ever going to make it to other planets.
An ancient mega-landslide deep under the ocean has been uncovered which could cause a massive tsunami with “just a little shake in the wrong place”.
Samsung has been accused of throttling the performance of more than 10,000 apps running on its latest smartphone.
And Nasa will let you send your name on a flight around the Moon – for FREE.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
