Javelin & Carl Gustaf: How Anti-Armor Weapons Are Decimating Russian Tanks

by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) 

A U.S. Army Rifle Task Force Commander of the famous attack on the Iraqi Republican Guard at the Baghdad airport during Operation Iraqi Freedom called the now famous Javelin anti-tank missile a “very effective weapon.” 

This kind of assessment from years ago makes sense in light of the fact not only did U.S. Army attackers during OIF destroy Iraqi tanks during the attacks, but the weapon has literally wreaked havoc and devastation upon Russian armored vehicles seeking to invade Ukraine. Not only are the weapons themselves extremely effective as anti-armor munitions, but they were especially effective in Ukraine and OIF due to the tactics with which they were used.

Retired Lt. Col. Scott Rutter, who led U.S. Army unit attacks, as a Rifle Company Commander, on the Republican Guard, said Iraqis tried to use narrow passageways, buildings, or uneven terrain at key points from which to launch ambushes or hit-and-run attacks.

Javelins in Ukraine

These kinds of tactics, using dispersed groups of decentralized, dismounted fighters, have proven very effective against Russian tanks. Ukrainians have, for example, destroyed at least 1,100 Russian tanks, according to many open-source reports. In fact, some estimates and assessments place the number of destroyed Russian tanks much higher at 2,000 and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense says they have destroyed more than 3,400 Russian tanks.

U.S. & NATO Javelins

The Javelin anti-tank weapon, which has arrived in Ukraine in large numbers from the U.S. and NATO allies, has been a large element attack for the Ukrainian army.

In recent years, Raytheon and Lockheed have upgraded the Javelin’s targeting, range, and lethality with software upgrades and innovations of great consequence. Raytheon has engineered a new Lightweight Command Launch Unit (CLU) over the last several years that actually doubles the range.