What Are FGM-148 Anti-Tank Rockets? Latest U.S. Weapons Package for Ukraine
During his unannounced visit to Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said he would soon be giving the nation an additional $500 million in military equipment as it prepares for a spring offensive by Russia.
Biden’s five-hour trip to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev came just days before the February 24 one-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During his visit, he held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as military officials.
The latest military aid package, which Biden referred to in a news conference in Kyiv, will include more Javelin anti-tank missile systems.
The FGM-148 Javelin is a US-made version of a man-portable missile system that can be used by soldiers either on the shoulder or on the ground, and features a guidance system that manufacturers refer to as “fire-and-forget”. The missiles attack the top of tanks, where armor is usually thinnest, making them very effective.
According to the Associated Press, as of May 2022, the US had already shipped around 7,000 Javelins to Ukraine – about a third of its inventory. In September, the US Army awarded Lockheed Martin and Raytheon a joint $311 million contract to increase production, including 1,800 rounds to be sent to Ukraine to replenish their inventories.
Lockheed Martin described the Javelin at the time as “a versatile, man-portable, multi-role, one-man weapon system that offers the ability to defeat a wide range of threats in all conditions.”
Since the Russian invasion began 12 months ago, javelins have become a patriotic symbol for Ukrainians due to their ascribed ability to turn the tide; A mural in Kiev titled “Saint Javelin” shows Mary Magdalene holding one of the guns, while Ukrainian toy factories have been making soft versions of the gun for children.
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Ukrainian officials said that by February 20 it had destroyed 3,316 Russian tanks – six more than the previous day – as well as 6,553 armored fighting vehicles news week could not verify these numbers.
Ukraine had relatively few missile systems before the conflict began, with a handful dispatched from the Baltic states and Britain in the months leading up to the war. In 2022, thousands of Ukrainian trainees were sent to the UK to learn weapon handling alongside survival skills.
Biden’s latest package also includes munitions for HIMARS — a US-developed rocket launcher that Ukraine has also called highly effective — and howitzers and air surveillance radars that the US president said would “protect the Ukrainian people.”
He added that with other allies, we deployed “nearly 700 tanks and thousands of armored vehicles, 1,000 artillery systems, more than 2 million rounds of artillery ammunition, more than 50 advanced launch missile systems, and … air defense systems.”
Zelenskyy described the defense package as “powerful” and said discussions included “the issue of long-range weapons and weapons that can be delivered to Ukraine.”
Ukraine has been pushing to send new long-range systems, which it does not currently have, that would allow it to hit Russian military targets well behind its current defense lines that HIMARS cannot reach.
Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, said he couldn’t name any potential new capabilities for Ukraine, but according to the Associated Press there had been “good discussion” on the subject.
Zelenskyy praised America’s decision in January to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks, saying it “laid the groundwork for the tank coalition.” Germany undertook to send 14 of its Leopard tanks to Ukraine, which according to various reports was conditional on a US commitment.
Biden also promised a new round of sanctions against Russia to be announced later this week. He said the economic sanctions would target “elites and corporations trying to evade sanctions and bolster Russia’s war machine.”