Russian air defense systems and electronic warfare systems have already displayed their effectiveness against Western UAVs, rocket artillery systems and cruise missiles used by the Kiev regime.
However, Ukrainian crews operating Western-made tanks and armored vehicles have also learned the hard way that Russian anti-tank weapons do not discriminate.
Mobile Russian "tank hunter" teams armed with portable anti-tank missile launchers played an important role in overcoming the recent attempts by the Ukrainian forces to break through Russian defenses in the vicinity of Donetsk. In Donestsk, Kiev forces ended up losing scores of tanks and armored vehicles, including several German-made Leopard tanks and US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.
One such team operating an anti-tank missile launcher mounted on the back of a small buggy, has already managed to take out four enemy armored personnel carriers and two tanks.
Currently, Russian Armed Forces employ several types of anti-tank missile weapons, some of which have already displayed their effectiveness during the conflicts in the Middle East over the past two decades.
How Good is the Kornet Missile?
One of these weapons is the 9M133 Kornet, a man-portable anti-tank guided missile system that can hit targets at a range of up to 5,500 meters, with its tandem warhead capable of punching through about 1,200 mm of tank armor.
The Kornet-D modification, typically mounted on a vehicle, boasts even more impressive characteristics, with its missiles being able to strike at targets at a distance up to 10,000 meters and penetrating up to 1,300 mm worth of armor.
Kornet missiles are designed to defeat the explosive reactive armor used by modern tanks, while a particular feature of this weapon system also makes it capable of bypassing enemy active protection systems: two missiles can be fired in quick succession, thus giving enemy countermeasures little time to switch to the second threat.
Aside from being a potent tank-hunting weapon, Kornet can also be used to destroy buildings and fortifications.
Can a Kornet Take Out an Abrams?
During the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi forces managed to take out at least two US M1 Abrams main battle tanks and one Bradley infantry fighting vehicle with Kornet missiles, while Hezbollah fighters successfully used Kornets against Israeli Merkava main battle tanks during the conflict in Lebanon in 2006.
Kornet Missile's Price
The price of a single Kornet missile was estimated by media at about $26,000 apiece in 2019, which makes it a real bargain considering that one such missile can take out an Abrams tank worth over $10 million.
Is Javelin Better Than Kornet?
The chief difference between Kornet and one of its Western counterparts, the US-made FGM-148 Javelin man-portable anti-tank missile system, is the guidance system: while Kornet missiles are guided by laser and require the system’s targeting module to keep the target in its sights until a hit is scored, Javelin is a “fire-and-forget” weapon whose missile homes in on a target by itself.
That said, the Kornet has a greater range than a Javelin (5,500 meters versus about 2,500 meters) and can punch through thicker armor, not to mention that Kornet missiles can also be used not just against armored vehicles, but against fortifications as well.