Ukraine test-fires US-supplied "tank killer" missile for first time
The Ukrainian army successfully tested the US-made Javelin missile, a weapon that is the nemesis of many modern tanks.
| Javelin missile hits target during test firing on May 22. Video:Turchynov. |
"I believe that the strength of the Ukrainian army will increase significantly from today," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared when posting on Twitter a video of the test firing of the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile on May 22, according toAFP.
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| President Petro Poroshenko during a Javelin test launch. |
In the video, after being fired by the Ukrainian gunner, the Javelin missile flies straight up into the sky and hits its target, a tank. The shell explodes on the turret roof, the weakest part of the tank, enough to penetrate the thin armor here and cause heavy damage to the target.
This is the first test firing by the Ukrainian military after the US provided 37 launchers and 210 Javelin missiles worth a total of $47 million in March. This batch of Javelin missiles also marks the first time the US has sold lethal weapons to Ukraine since Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014.
The FGM-148 Javelin is a self-guided shoulder-fired anti-tank missile that has been in service with the US since 1996, equipped with a dual high-explosive explosive device (HEAT) to penetrate the roof, sides and rear of main battle tanks. It is considered one of the most dangerous "tank killers" in the world, capable of defeating many modern tanks produced by Russia and other powers.
Washington previously avoided providing modern lethal weapons to Kiev, fearing it would escalate the conflict in eastern Ukraine and cause tensions with Moscow.Many expect this type of missile to help Ukraine turn the tide of the war in the East, where government troops are fighting pro-Russian separatist forces.
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Fighting area (dark yellow) between government forces and separatists in eastern Ukraine. Graphics:Vox. |
However, military analysts and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the organization that coordinates US arms sales to foreign countries, all said that the Javelin missiles would not help the Ukrainian army gain a significant advantage over separatist militias, where tanks and armored vehicles are no longer commonly used.
The separatist movement in eastern Ukraine erupted in 2014, with protests escalating into armed violence in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions against the government of President Poroshenko. Ukraine accused Russia of providing weapons and logistical support to these separatist movements. The fighting in eastern Ukraine has continued to this day, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.
