As Russia continues its unprovoked and illegal attacks against Ukraine, you have heard a lot of discussion about supplying weapons to the Ukrainian forces that are battling the Russian invaders. The most mentioned weapons are the “Javelin Anti-Tank Weapon” and the other is the “Stinger Ground to Air Missile.”
I thought it might be beneficial to explain these weapons and why they are key components to the forces of Ukraine as they battle the Russian hordes. As you know, I call this blog “My View from Inside the Turret” – and that’s because I served in tank and armored cavalry units…
…throughout my 23 years of service in the US Army. If you have wondered what that meant --- well, when you are riding and fighting from inside a tank or other armored vehicles, you are many times looking through a periscope or gun telescope
that gives you a very limited but very focused view of the battlefield. I use this analogy to let my readers know that I am narrowly focused on the issues that I discuss.
So, now let’s focus on the Javelin anti-tank missile.
Why is this the weapon of choice for ground troops that have to defend against tanks and other armored vehicles? The Army tell us that: Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The system takes a top-attack flight profile against armored vehicles (attacking the top armor, which is generally thinner), but can also take a direct-attack mode for use against buildings, targets inside the minimum top-attack engagement range, and targets under obstructions. The missile also has the ability to engage helicopters in the direct attack mode.
The key performance factor is reflected in the words attacking the top armor, which is generally thinner. As a tanker looking out of the turret, I can tell you that it is virtually impossible to prevent a penetration of the crew compartment of a tank when it is attacked from the top. The flight profile of the missile is depicted in the chart below:
The continued use of these weapons will make Russian armor formations reluctant to maneuver and leave their safe positions – the targeted enemy knows that the Ukrainians have an absolute full proof way to kill them.
Outstanding American technology applied to a very dangerous battlefield. But it is not only the ground where the Ukrainians face superior Russian forces --- it is also the sky above them. The main threat comes from the Russian attack helicopter named the Hind.
The Mil Mi-24 (Russian: Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and has been operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force and its successors, along with 48 other nations. A formidable weapon to be sure --- but not fast enough to escape the US developed Stinger ground to air anti-aircraft missile.
The Stinger is an advanced version of an earlier missile called the Red Eye. The FIM-92 Stinger is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) that operates as an infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM). It can be adapted to fire from a wide variety of ground vehicles and helicopters (Air to Air Stinger). Developed in the United States, it entered service in 1981 and is used by the militaries of the United States and 29 other countries. It is principally manufactured by Raytheon Missile Systems.
Russian pilots are keenly aware of the lethality that the Stinger brings to the modern battlefield and the Ukrainian Army is using them to great effect. If you have not already seen it --- the link below will take you to a YouTube video of a Stinger shooting down a Russian Hind Helicopter on the Ukrainian battlefield.
These are the weapons that make a David like the Ukrainian Army able to stand up to a Goliath like the Russian Bear. We should all keep the Ukrainians in our prayers and as that old World War I battlefield refrain goes ---
“PRAISE THE LORD --- AND PASS THE AMMUNITION”
UNDERSTANDING THE WEAPONS BEING USED BY UKRAINIAN FORCES
Im certainly glad our military has these weapons and I’m sure the opposition has something very similar at their disposal. As an ground surveillance radar operator in West Germany in the mid-1960’s and an armored cavalry scout in Vietnam we were more concerned about we’re the RPG 2’s and 7’s. Thank you for the education on the updated weaponry available today. Makes me really glad I don’t have to face them.
Very nice info. Thank you for your service. Keep the great posts coming