In the course of a conflict that has lasted more than nine months, we identified five weapons that the Ukrainian military used to its advantage and defeat Russian forces.
High mobility rocket artillery M142 HIMARS
The M142 HIMARS High Mobility Rocket System made by US defence company Lockheed Martin currently has the greatest impact on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Early in 1993, the M142 HIMARS was first put into service. The M142 HIMARS system gave Ukrainian forces a platform to target Russian positions and shift to a different place to evade enemy counterfire with a range of up to 480 kilometres.
US President Joe Biden said on June 1 that Ukraine would get $ 700 million in military assistance. As a result, the US will give Ukraine four M142 HIMARS systems in addition to the Multiple Launched Guided Missile System (GMLRS), a weaponry capable of hitting targets up to 64 kilometres distant.
Ukraine utilised these weapons in two significant assaults in August.
Man-portable anti-tank missile
Man-portable anti-tank missile systems, such as the FGM-148, are crucial in preventing Russia from gaining an advantage on the battlefield while also helping to destroy hundreds of Russian tanks.
The Javelin anti-tank missile has been in use since 1996 and has undergone continuous improvements. US forces frequently employ this anti-tank missile type in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Javelin missile proved to be an effective weapon against enemy main battle tanks, along with the Swedish AT4 and the British NLAW anti-tank gun.
Javelin, which operates on the “fire and forget” tenet, automatically directs the gunner to cover and escape counterattacks as soon as the projectile is launched.
Modern tanks can be destroyed by Javelin’s HEAT high-explosive warhead, which uses a “rooftop” attack mechanism to fly straight up and down on the target and strike where the armour is thinnest. Additionally, Javelin has a direct attack capability that can be utilised to strike fortifications.
Main battle tank T-72
Ukraine operated the Soviet-era T-72 main battle tank even before Russia began a military offensive in late February.
Since then, nations like North Macedonia and Poland have agreed to giving Ukraine this tank. However, when Russian tank men abandoned their tanks on the battlefield, Russia unintentionally provided Ukraine with dozens of T-72s. Kiev swiftly refurbished and put into service the tanks it had taken. Ironically, Ukraine’s weaponry continues to grow as Russia’s stockpile gets less.
R-360 neptune anti-ship cruise missile
The Luch Design Bureau of Ukraine, which produced the R-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missile, has provided numerous options for Ukrainian troops to employ them.
When it targeted the Russian frigate Admiral Essen in early April, the Neptune anti-ship missile, which was based on the Soviet Kh-35 anti-ship missile, proved to be a very effective weapon. A few weeks later, Neptune scored once more when he sank the guided-missile flagship Moskva of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The R-360 Neptune missile hasn’t been used frequently since the Russian Slava-class cruiser was sunk, but that incident helped to highlight the missile’s capabilities and also gave the Russian Navy reason to restrict access to Ukraine’s coastal areas.
The Neptune anti-ship missile, which was created based on the Soviet Kh-35 anti-ship missile, proved to be a very effective weapon when it targeted the Russian frigate Admiral Essen in early April. Neptune scored once more just a few weeks later when it sank the guided-missile flagship Moskva of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The Russian Slava-class cruiser’s sinking highlighted the R-360 Neptune missile’s capabilities while also prompting the Russian Navy to take action by limiting access to Ukraine’s coastal areas, despite the fact that the missile has not been deployed frequently thereafter.
M777 155 mm howitzer.
The M777 155 mm light howitzer is regarded as another weapon with a significant impact on the conflict in Ukraine.
The US has given Ukraine around 126 M777 155 mm howitzers and 226,000 rounds of ammunition.
The Ukrainians have also been given 46 kg M795 artillery shells, which have a kill radius of about 70 m and can carry 10 kg of TNT. These shells have a similar destructive firepower to Hellfire missiles but are much less expensive.
