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AT-3 Sagger
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The 9K11 Malyutka (; little or tiny baby) is the (NATO reporting name: AT-3 Sagger) is an MCLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missile developed in the Soviet Union. It was the first man-portable anti-tank guided missile of the Soviet Union and is probably the most widely produced ATGM of all time—with Soviet production peaking at 25,000 missiles a year during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition copies of the missile have been manufactured under various names by at least five countries.
lopment began in July 1961 with the government assigning the project to two design teams: Tula and Kolomna.
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Encyclopedia
The 9K11 Malyutka (; little or tiny baby) is the (NATO reporting name: AT-3 Sagger) is an MCLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missile developed in the Soviet Union. It was the first man-portable anti-tank guided missile of the Soviet Union and is probably the most widely produced ATGM of all time—with Soviet production peaking at 25,000 missiles a year during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition copies of the missile have been manufactured under various names by at least five countries.
Development
Development began in July 1961 with the government assigning the project to two design teams: Tula and Kolomna. The requirements were:
- vehicle mountable and/or man portable
- range of 3000 m
- armor penetration of 200 mm at 60°
- weight at most 10 kg.
The designs were based on the western ATGMs of the 1950s, such as the French Entac and the Swiss Cobra. In the end, the prototype developed by the Kolomna Machine Design Bureau, who were also responsible for the AT-1 Snapper, was chosen. Initial tests were completed by 20 December 1962, and the missile was accepted for service on 16 September 1963.
History
In Soviet service the man-portable version was deployed as part of the anti-tank platoon of motor rifle battalions. Each platoon has two Malyutka sections, each with two teams. Each team has two launcher stations. One assistant gunner in each team serves as a RPG-7 gunner. The RPG-7 is needed to cover the 500 meter deadzone created by the minimum range of the missile.
It is also an integrated part of the BMP-1, BMD-1 and BRDM-2 vehicles.
Vietnam War
On 23 April 1972, the recently organized (and the only South Vietnamese armor unit equipped with the M48 Patton tank) ARVN (Army Republic of South Vietnam) 20th Tank Regiment was attacked by the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) employing the 9M14M Malyutka (Sagger) anti-tank guided missile for the first time. This first employment of the Sagger wire-guided missile destroyed one M48A3 Patton tank and one M113 Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (ACAV), a second ACAV was damaged.
During this engagement with the weapon, the ARVN tankers appeared fascinated by the missile's slow and erratic flight, but through experience, they soon deployed counter measures against the weapon system. Upon launching by the enemy, ARVN AFV (Armored Fighting Vehicle) crewmen would fire all weapons within 15 meters (which was the length of the controller's joystick control wire) of the Saggers firing position; which would make the gunner flinch and lose control of his missile. The ARVN had lost 8 tanks to the Sagger missile, but had developed procedures to defend themselves against it.
Yom Kippur War (aka October War)
It was used successfully in the 1973 Yom Kippur War by the Syrian and Egyptian armies. On average each missile team expended 20 rounds—or about 2,000 rounds per division during the war. Soviet sources claim that the missile accounted for 800 Israeli tank losses during the war, though some sources report as high as 1,063 — but this probably includes tanks that were out of action for less than 24 hours.
Description
The missile can be fired from a portable suitcase launcher (9P111), ground vehicles (BMP-1, BRDM-2) and helicopters (Mi-2, Mi-8, Mi-24). The missile takes about 5 minutes to deploy from its 9P111 fibreglass suitcase, which also serves as the launching platform.
The missile is guided to the target by means of a small joystick (9S415); which requires profound training of the operator. The operator's adjustments are transmitted to the missile via a thin 3 strand wire that trails behind the missile. The missile climbs into the air immediately after launch, which prevents the missile hitting obstacles or the ground. In flight the missile spins at 8.5 revolutions per second—it is initially spun by its booster, and the spin is maintained by the slight angle of the wings. The missile uses a small gyroscope to orient itself relative to the ground; as a result the missile can take some time to bring back in line with the target, which gives it a minimum range of somewhere between 500 m and 800 m. For targets under 1000 m, the operator can guide the missile by eye; for targets beyond this range the operator uses the 8x power, 22.5 degree field of view 9Sh16 periscope sight.
The engagement envelope is a 3 km, 45 degree arc centered on the missiles launch axis. At ranges under 1.5 km this arc reduces, until at 500 m range the missile can only hit targets 50 m either side of the center line. It should be noted that accuracy falls off away from the launch axis—falling to approximately half its optimal accuracy at the extremes.
While early estimates of the missile hitting the target ranged from 90% to 60%, experience has shown that it is really between 25% and 2% depending on the situation and skill of the operator. MCLOS requires considerable skill on the part of the operator: reportedly it takes 2,300 simulated firings to become proficient with the missile as well as 50 to 60 simulated firings a week to maintain the skill level.
The two most serious defects of this weapon system are its minimum range of between 500 m and 800 m (targets that are closer cannot be effectively engaged) and the amount of time it takes the slow moving missile to reach maximum range—around 30 seconds—giving the intended target time to take evasive maneuver, either by retreating behind an obstacle/dune, laying down a smoke-screen or returning fire on the operator.
Later version of the missile address these problems by implementing the much easier to use SACLOS guidance system as well as upgrading the propulsion system to increase the average flight speed.
Models
- AT-3 Sagger
- AT-3A Sagger A 9M14 Malyutka wire-guided MCLOS Entered service in 1963.
- AT-3B Sagger B 9M14M Malyutka-M wire-guided MCLOS Entered service in 1973 improved motor, reducing flight time to maximum range. Mass 11 kg. Range 3 km.
- AT-3C Sagger C 9M14P Malyutka-P wire-guided SACLOS
- 9M14P Improved warhead 460 mm versus RHA, Entered service in 1969
- 9M14P1 Improved warhead 520 mm versus RHA with a stand off probe for improved capability against ERA.
- 9M14MP1
- 9M14MP2
- AT-3D Sagger D wire-guided SACLOS entered service in the 1990s. Mass 13 kg. Range 3 km. Speed improved to 130 m/s.
- 9M14-2 Malyutka-2 3.5 kg HEAT warhead 800 mm penetration versus RHA. Entered service in 1992. Weight 12.5 kg.
- 9M14-2M Malyutka-2M 4.2 kg tandem HEAT warhead for improved capability against ERA. Weight 13.5 kg. Speed 120 m/s.
- 9M14-2P Malyutka-2P
- 9M14-2F Malyutka-2F 3.0 kg thermobaric warhead. Intended for use against troops and soft vehicles.
- 9M14P-2F
- 9M14-2T Serbian Yugoimport SDPR Malyutka-2T SACLOS 4.4 kg tandem HEAT warhead 1,000 mm penetration versus RHA, improved capability against ERA. Weight 13.7 kg. Speed 120 m/s
- HJ-73 Hongjian Red Arrow-73 China
- HJ-73 MCLOS entered service in 1979
- HJ-73B SACLOS
- HJ-73C SACLOS stand off probe for improved capability against ERA
- RAAD Iran
- RAAD
- I-RAAD stand off probe for improved capability against ERA
- Susong-Po North Korean
- POLK Slovenia based on the AT-3C
- Kun Wu 1 Taiwan
List of past and present operators
Hezbollah
- Will replace them with 9M133 Kornet and Israeli Spikes
- Reserve status
See also
External links
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