The United States has sent so many of its Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine that its stock is depleted for possible use by its own forces, according to a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cited by CNN.
Replenishing US stockpiles with new weapons will take years, according to a report by Mark Cancian, senior adviser on the International Security Program at CSIS.
What are Javelins?
It is an anti-tank missile fired by a special shoulder launcher, made by the American giants of the defense industry Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The missile is a so-called “fire and forget” weapon, which means that it is guided to its target after launch, allowing its pilot to cover himself and avoid counter-fire.
Images of Ukrainian troops carrying Javelin missile launchers on their shoulders have flashed around the world, making the anti-tank weapon a symbol of Ukrainian resistance to Russia invasionhttps: //t.co/m1hc5VwivE pic.twitter.com/XTJwDBJkLB
– AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 16, 2022
Use in Ukraine
Ukrainian forces used it with disastrous effect against Russian tanks, nullifying what, before the war, was considered to be an overwhelming Russian advantage.
It could also be very useful for US forces in any unforeseen conflict, but Cancian said the Pentagon must monitor its depletion.
“Weapon makers are likely to be nervous,” he wrote.
“The United States holds stocks for a variety of potential global conflicts that could occur against North Korea, Iran or Russia itself. At some point, those stocks will fall low enough for companies to question whether war plans can be carried out. “The United States is probably getting closer to this point.”
Cancian estimates that there may be 20,000 to 25,000 Javelins left in stock and that 7,000 systems sent to Ukraine “represent about a third of the total US stock”.
“It will take about three or four years to replace the rockets that have been delivered so far,” Cancian said.
A senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday that massive arms shipments to Ukraine, including thousands of Javelin anti-aircraft missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, have not affected the readiness of U.S. forces.
Source: Capital
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