The “Beginning of an Invasion of Ukraine” Can Javelin Anti-Tank Missiles Slow Down Russia?

Video Above: Can US Supplied Anti-Javelin Missiles Help Ukraine Fend off Russian Attacks?

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

As Russian forces enter Ukraine as part of what President Biden calls the “beginning of an invasion of Ukraine,” forces are positioned to move in from all directions, indicating a full-scale take-over of Ukraine may be unfolding in the coming days.

Javelin Anti-Tank Missiles

The Pentagon has armed Ukrainian forces with some number of Javelin Anti-Tank missiles, weapons often used by small, maneuvering dismounted units to target and destroy tanks from distances out to several miles. What kind of impact might they have on fast-incoming Russian tanks streaming into Eastern Ukraine. In combat, Javelins have shown an ability to destroy tanks, as the weapons were first used against Iraqi T-72 tanks during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

The Javelin can dismount and operate as a shoulder-fired weapon used by small groups of soldiers on the move or also mount and fire from tactical vehicles as well, such as those that go off road.

Could Javelin-armed Ukrainian forces stop, slow-down or destroy invading Russian tanks? Perhaps, yet there are a few things to consider. A quick look at the geography shows that Eastern Ukraine is largely plains and plateaus, whereas the Western part of the country is mountainous. In order for Javelins to reach their maximum effectiveness, they might best be fired from soldiers in defilade, meaning hidden by rocks, trees or uneven terrain. 

Therefore, the terrain in Eastern Ukraine might not be an optimal location from which to stage hit-and-run Javelin attacks on Russian tanks. Should soldiers attacking with Javelins be unable to conceal their points of attack, they could of course be more vulnerable to advancing Russian mechanized formations and less effective in stopping them.