Of all the assistance America has provided to Ukraine, the gift of 5,500 or so Javelins has been perhaps the most welcome. But supply is drying up
, the gift of 5,500 or so Javelins has been perhaps the most welcome. Armed with these light anti-tank missiles, Ukrainian forces managed to stall, and eventually reverse, the Russian advance on their capital, Kyiv. Little wonder, then, that the Javelin has acquired exalted status among Ukrainians, celebrated in music and paintings .
The Javelin features a fearsome combination of power and precision. It is a “fire-and-forget” weapon, allowing soldiers to take cover quickly after firing. It can strike targets more than 3km away and hit the top of the tank—its most vulnerable part.have provided more than 60,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. These include not just the Javelin but also the Panzerfaust from Germany and Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapons from Britain and Sweden. All have helped .
from army budget documents, America has bought around 34,500 Javelins since they were deployed in 1996. Procurement increased significantly during the early 2000s when America was ensnared in two wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since then, however, the pace has fallen. America does not release details of its stock of Javelins. But Mr Cancian reckons that America has to date used up between 12,500 to 17,500 missiles for training and testing.
It is not just Ukraine that needs Javelins. European allies are re-arming, too. And just replenishing America’s stockpile will take time. The Lockheed Martin factory that produces the Javelin is designed to build 2,100 of the missiles a year, and it normally takes 32 months after an order has been placed for them to be delivered. It could in theory go up to 6,480 a year with extra shifts, but arms manufacturers are having trouble finding workers and spare parts—especially semiconductors.
The war in Ukraine may trigger such investment. On May 3rd Mr Biden visited the facility in Alabama where Lockheed Martin produces Javelins. He used his visit to call on Congress to approve his $20bn military aid request, some of which would go towards boosting production of the missiles. In 2022 Javelins cost roughly $350,000 each. If orders were to increase, Lockheed Martin would join the Ukrainians in celebrating the Javelin’s prowess.
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