Biden to tour Lockheed Martin Javelin facility in Alabama
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At a checkpoint in Ukraine, a serviceman from the Ukrainian military forces displays a FGM148 Javelin portable anti-tank ballistic missile made by America. He is holding it near Kharkiv. This was March 23, 2022.
Sergey Bobok | AFP | Getty Images
TROY, Alabama — One of the most effective U.S. weapons in Ukraine’s fight against Russia comes from an unlikely place: a 4,000-acre compound nestled in the quiet woods of a southern Alabama town.
In the 50 or so buildings that make up Lockheed Martin’s Pike County Operations in Troy, Alabama, the crown jewels of U.S. missile defense systems are built and bred for battle.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden will tour the Javelin assembly facility, which is responsible for making the anti-armor portable weapon. The Javelin is a top-rated weapon for Ukraine since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine. The U.S. has transferred 5500 Javelins so far to Ukraine, along with its allies.
Biden will give remarks about U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine and reiterate his call for additional funding from Congress while he is in Troy. Biden is seeking $33 billion in additional assistance.
Javelin is a anti-tank weapon designed for striking targets three to four miles from their base. It can also be fired directly from the shoulder. The Javelin was used by Ukrainian forces to attack Russian artillery and tanks throughout the conflict.
This system was co-manufactured with LockheedAnd RaytheonAnd assembled in Troy.
Infantry soldiers with the 1st Battalion of 8th Infantry Regiment and 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division fire an FGM-148 Javelin in support for Eager Lion during a joint arms live fire drill in Jordan on August 27, 2019.
U.S. Army Sergeant. Liane Hatch | U.S. Army
For the first time in 2019, the defense titan opened to the media its heavily guarded compound in Troy, where it has quietly assembled 190,000 missiles. These include America’s THAAD (or terminal high altitude defense system), the JASSM or joint air-to-surface standoff missile and Hellfire missiles.
After more than one year of security approvals, the process for opening the facility was completed. It was also conditional that photography and recording devices were not allowed to enter.
The Javelin missile is brought to life at Troy in an enclosed facility without windows. It has high ceilings, slick floors and well-organized bins for electronic cables. This is where over 50,000 classified missiles have been assembled and tested in the past 20 years to join the U.S. army’s vast arsenal.
Biden announced the latest package of military assistance worth $800 millions on April 21st the eighth such installment of security assistanceThis brings the U.S. commitment up to $3.4 Billion since Russia invaded in February.
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