When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, analysts expected Kyiv to fall in days or weeks. Yet 18 months later, the capital is secure, and Ukraine’s counteroffensive to recapture lost territories is in full swing.
Since early in the conflict, the U.S. and NATO allies have delivered advanced weaponry to Ukraine.
The billions of dollars’-worth of aid ranges from munitions and main battle tanks to anti-tank systems and drones. Five weapons constitute the best and most lethal systems in Kyiv’s arsenal.
Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missiles
Without the Javelin, Ukrainian forces would struggle to fend off Russian heavy machinery. The American-made tank-killing machine is referred to by many troops as “Saint Javelin, Protector of Ukraine.”
First entering service with the U.S. military in the mid-1990s, the FGM-148 Javelin, or Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium, is a formidable weapon. Its fire-and-forget design enables operators to seek cover following a launch, which some of the Javelin’s counterparts fail to do. The anti-tank guided missile is a two-part system consisting of a command launch unit and a launch tube assembly. Since Kyiv acquired the Javelin, countless videos have shown it destroying Russian MBTs.
HIMARS
As detailed by its maker Lockheed Martin, the M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is “the most technically advanced, affordable and sustainable artillery solution.”
Developed in the late 1990s for the U.S. Army, HIMARS is mounted on a standard FMTV truck frame. The launcher can hold six rockets that can be fired at targets up to 50 miles away. Ukrainian forces were trained on how to operate HIMARS, and it has become a significant component of their defensive efforts.
Bayraktar TB2 UAV
Drone warfare has played a great role throughout the conflict. Ukraine first procured the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone prior to the outbreak of war in 2019. Powered by an internal combustion engine, the TB2 can travel up to a maximum range of 300 kilometers. Each UAV features six aerial vehicle platforms, two remote video terminals, ground support equipment, and three ground data terminals.
Western MBTs
Earlier this year, the U.S. and other NATO allies pledged to deliver several modern MBT platforms to Ukraine. In addition to American-made M1A1 Abrams vehicles, British Challengers and German Leopard 2 tanks are set to contribute to Kyiv’s counteroffensive. Russia relies on its antiquated stockpiles of Soviet-era armored vehicles, which are technically inferior to these Western tanks.
While the Abrams has yet to hit the battlefield, the first Leopard 2 tanks reached Ukraine in February.
Superior Training
While not a weapon in the strictest sense, training can make or break a war strategy. Russian soldiers have been sent to the frontlines in MBTs without the necessary training, equipment, or maintenance tools, resulting in heavy vehicle losses for Moscow. Ukraine, by comparison, is better trained on most of the systems it has received. When Kyiv first received Javelins, however, soldiers did not know how to use them. Once the anti-tank operators became more skilled in using the weapon, they used the Javelins tto great effect.
Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
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