Ukraine to Get New Shipment of Tank-Busting Javelins
Rightfully nicknamed the “Protector of Ukraine” and “Saint Javelin” for its outsized role in defending the country, the FGM-148 Javelin is one of the most lethal tank killers in the world.
Now, the Department of Defense has just signed a $1.3 billion follow-on contract for more Javelin portable anti-tank missiles to replenish US stockpiles and send more to Ukraine and Taiwan.
This represents the largest single-year Javelin contract for manufacturers Raytheon & Lockheed Martin. The $1.3 billion follow-on order is in addition to last year’s massive deal worth up to $7.2 billion…
That’s a lot of Javelins.
At roughly $240,000 per missile, that comes out to [carry the one] 35,000 missiles. (Launchers not included in my napkin calculation).
To date, Ukraine has already received over 10,000 Javelin missiles from the US. In fact, I feel confident in saying that Ukrainian soldiers now have more experience using the weapon in actual combat than the US Army and the US Marine Corps combined.
The Javelin has performed so well in Ukraine that India has now expressed interest in purchasing the weapon — In June, New Delhi and Washington discussed co-producing these American-made missiles.
