According to Business Insider, after 8 months since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out, every backbone weapon in the Ukrainian army at the moment is aided by the West. At the present time, the weapons that are considered the “backbone” in the Ukrainian military, are of Western origin, here are 5 names listed by Business Insider.
M142 HIMARS Rocket Artillery System
The highly mobile multiple launch rocket system (HIMARS) is the most influential weapon on the Ukrainian battlefield. This is a light multiple launch rocket system (MRLS) that was first introduced in 1993.
With a range of more than 50km, HIMARS allows the Ukrainian military to conduct a “fire and run” approach, when it can fire and move in just a few minutes, not giving the Russian military enough time to conduct calculations and counter-fire.
To date, the Biden administration has provided more than four M142 HIMARS systems to Ukraine, along with other support packages of up to $700 million
FGM-148 Javelin Anti-tank Guided Missile
Mobile anti-tank systems, most notably the FGM-148 Javelin man-portable missile system, played a key role in stopping Russian tanks and armor.
The Javelin was first commissioned in 1996, and has been continuously upgraded since then. This system is widely used by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Javelin’s “fire and forget” system uses infrared guidance technology, allowing the user to fire from a safe place, avoiding counterattack immediately after firing.
Its HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead is capable of completely destroying the target tank by targeting the upper door, where it is least resistant.
Main Battle tank T-72
Before Russia launched a special military operation in February, Ukraine already widely used the T-72 main battle tank. Later, countries such as Finland and Macedonia also donated these tanks to Kyiv. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry also said that the Ukrainian army has seized a large number of T-72 tanks left behind by the Russians on the battlefield, most of which are in a slightly damaged condition, can be reused.
These vehicles were then quickly repaired and reused by the Ukrainian side on the battlefield.
R-360 Neptune Anti-ship Missile System
R-360 Neptune is an anti-ship missile developed and produced by Ukraine itself, this is also a rare weapon originating from Ukraine, which continues to be used by this country’s military in large numbers.
Based on the Soviet-era Kh-35 missile, this is an extremely effective anti-ship missile, capable of striking heavy damage, even sinking a frigate-sized warship, with a single strike.
During the special military operation, the Russian Navy lost a warship named Moscowa, belonging to the Black Sea fleet. The cause given by the Russian side was a fire, however, it is still not certain that the Moscow ship was actually on fire due to an accident, or an Neptune anti-ship missile attack.
M-777 155mm howitzer
One weapon that is considered paramount in Ukraine is the M-777 155mm light cannon.
The US has delivered about 126 of these artillery systems and 226,000 artillery shells to Ukraine. The M777 cannon is famous for being able to mount a barrel weighing up to 7 tons into a super-maneuverable frame.
In addition, the Ukrainian side is also provided with M795 artillery shells, carrying 10kg of explosives with the ability to destroy within 70 meters for use on the battlefield.