The FGM-148 Javelin is an American-made portable anti-tank missile fielded since 1996 to replace the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. Its fire-and-forget design uses automatic infrared guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch, as opposed to wire-guided systems, like the Dragon, which require the user to guide the weapon throughout the engagement. The Javelin's HEAT warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks by hitting them from above, where their armor is thinnest (see top attack), and is also useful against fortifications in a direct attack flight.
Javelins were used to destroy Russian tanks during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Land Forces, the engagement occurred near the town of Hlukhiv, where a column of 15 Russian T-72 tanks was reportedly destroyed. An image dubbed "Saint Javelin", which shows Mary Magdalene holding a Javelin launcher in the style of an Eastern Orthodox church painting, gained attraction in social media and soon became a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion.
