An
anti-tank guided missile (
ATGM) or
anti-tank guided weapon (
ATGW) is a
guidedMissile guidance refers to a variety of methods of guiding a missile or a guided bomb to its intended target. The missile's target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness...
missileA missile is a self-propelled projectile used as a weapon. Missiles are typically propelled by rockets or jet engines. Missiles generally have one or more explosive warheads, although other weapon types may also be used...
primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily-armored
tankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and tactical offensive and defensive capabilities...
s and other armored fighting vehicles.
ATGMs range in size from shoulder-launched weapons which can be transported by a single soldier, to larger tripod mounted weapons which require a squad or team to transport and fire, to vehicle and aircraft mounted missile systems.
The introduction of smaller, man-portable ATGMs with larger
warheadThe term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...
s to the modern battlefield has given infantry the ability to defeat even heavily armored main battle tanks at great ranges, usually with the first shot. Earlier infantry anti-tank weapons such as
anti-tank rifleAn anti-tank rifle is a rifle designed to penetrate the armour of vehicles, particularly tanks. The usefulness of rifles for this purpose ran from the introduction of tanks into the Second World War, when they were rendered almost entirely obsolete...
s,
anti-tank rocketsA shoulder-launched missile weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile at a target, yet is small enough to be carried by a single person, and fired while held on one's shoulder. "Missile" is used here in the original broad sense: today the word has a strong connotation with the concept of a guided...
and magnetic
anti-tank mineAn anti-tank mine, , is a type of land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including tanks and armoured fighting vehicles....
s had limited armor-penetration abilities and/or required a soldier to approach the target closely.
History
First-generation manually
command guidedCommand guidance is a type of missile guidance in which a ground station or aircraft relay signals to a guided missile via radio and tell the missile where to steer in order to intercept its target. Additionally, it is possible to send a command to the missile to detonate, even if the missile...
MCLOSMCLOS is a first-generation method for guiding guided missiles.With an MCLOS missile, the operator must track the missile and the target simultaneously and guide the missile to the target. Typically the missile is steered with a joystick, and its path is observed through a periscope-type...
missiles like the
AT-3 SaggerThe 9K11 Malyutka 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...
require input from an operator using a joystick or similar device to steer the missile to the target. The disadvantage is that the operator must be well trained and must remain stationary and in view of the target during the flight time of the missile. Because of this, the operator is vulnerable while guiding the missile.
Second-generation semi-automatically command guided
SACLOSSACLOS is a second-generation method of missile guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight...
missiles require the operator to only keep the sights on the target until impact. Automatic guidance commands are sent to the missile through
wiresA wire-guided missile is a missile that is guided by signals sent to it via thin wires connected to both the missile and its guidance mechanism, which is located somewhere near the launch site. As the missile flies, the wires are reeled out behind it...
or
radioRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, or the missile relies on
laser markingBeam-riding, also known as beam guidance, is a technique of directing a missile to its target by means of radar or a laser beam. It is one of the simplest forms of guidance using radar or lasers....
or a TV camera view from the nose of the missile. Examples are the American
TOWThe BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank guided missile. "TOW" stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided". The TOW was first produced in 1970 and is the most widely used anti-tank guided missile in the world.-Design and development:...
and
Hellfire IThe AGM-114 Hellfire is a multi-platform, multi-target United States modular missile system. The name comes from the fact that it was originally intended to be a helicopter-launched fire-and-forget weapon...
missiles. Again the operator must remain stationary during the missile's flight.
More advanced
third-generation guidance systems rely on a laser, electro-optical imager or a W band radar seeker, on the nose of the missile. Once the target is identified the missile needs no further guidance during flight (i.e. it is "
fire-and-forgetFire-and-forget is a third-generation method of missile guidance. The military use the term for a type of missile which does not require further guidance after launch such as illumination of the target or wire guidance , and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the target...
" ) and the operator is free to retreat. However, fire-and-forget missiles are more subject to electronic countermeasures than MCLOS and SACLOS missiles. Examples include the American
JavelinThe FGM-148 Javelin is an American-made man-portable anti-tank guided missile fielded to replace the Dragon antitank missile. -Overview:Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance...
, German PARS 3 LR, Israeli
SpikeSpike is a fourth generation anti-tank guided missile developed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.-Overview:Spike is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The missile is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker...
and the Indian
NagNag is a third generation "Fire-and-forget" anti-tank missile developed in India. It is one of five missile systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program...
.
Most modern ATGMs have
shaped-chargeA shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, initiate nuclear weapons, and penetrate armor...
high explosive (
HEATHigh explosive anti-tank warheads are made of an explosive shaped charge that uses the Neumann effect to create a very high-velocity jet of metal in a state of superplasticity that can punch through solid armor.The jet moves at hypersonic speeds in solid material and therefore erodes...
) warheads, designed specifically for penetrating armor.
Tandem-chargeA tandem-charge weapon is an explosive device or projectile that has two or more stages of detonation. It is effective against cage armor as well as explosive reactive armor which is designed to protect an armored vehicle against anti-tank arsenal. The first stage of the weapon triggers the...
missiles attempt to defeat ERA protected armor. The small initial charge sets off the ERA while the follow up main charge attempts to penetrate the main armor. Top-attack weapons such as the Indian
NagNag is a third generation "Fire-and-forget" anti-tank missile developed in India. It is one of five missile systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program...
and the Swedish Bill are designed to focus the explosion down through an armored fighting vehicle's thinner turret-roof or upper-hull armor.
It should be noted that all ATGMs are based on laser, radar, command, or heat guided systems. Therefore RPGs and rocket launchers are not considered Anti Tank Guided Missiles.
Countermeasures
CountermeasureA countermeasure is a system designed to prevent sensor-based weapons from acquiring and/or destroying a target....
s against ATGMs include spaced, perforated, and
composite armourComposite armour is a type of vehicle armour consisting of layers of different material such as metals, plastics, ceramics or air. Most composite armour are lighter than their all-metal equivalent, but instead occupy a larger volume for the same resistance to penetration...
, explosive
reactive armourReactive armour is a type of vehicle armour that reacts in some way to the impact of a weapon to reduce the damage done to the vehicle being protected. It is most effective in protecting against shaped charges and specially hardened long rod penetrators...
(ERA),
jammerElectronic countermeasures are a subsection of electronic warfare which includes any sort of electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems like IR and Laser. It may be used both offensively or defensively in any method to deny targeting...
s like the Russian
ShtoraShtora is a Russian electro-optical active protection suite for tanks, designed to disrupt the laser target designation and rangefinders of incoming anti-tank guided missiles ....
, and
active protection systemAn active protection system is a device protecting a tank or other armoured fighting vehicle from incoming fire before it hits the vehicle's armour. There are two general categories: soft kill systems, which use jamming or decoys to confuse a missile's guidance system, and hard kill systems,...
s (APS) like the Israeli
TrophyTrophy is an active protection system , designed to supplement the armor of both light and heavy armored fighting vehicles, which intercepts and destroys incoming missiles and rockets with a shotgun-like blast...
and the Russian
ArenaThe Arena Active Protection System is an active countermeasure system developed at Russia's Kolomna-based Engineering Design Bureau for the purpose of protecting armoured fighting vehicles from destruction by light anti-tank weapons, anti-tank guided missiles , and missiles with top attack...
. Traditionally, before "
fire-and-forgetFire-and-forget is a third-generation method of missile guidance. The military use the term for a type of missile which does not require further guidance after launch such as illumination of the target or wire guidance , and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the target...
" ATGMs were used, the most effective countermeasure was to open fire at the location where the missile was fired from: either the operator would be forced to take cover or he would be killed.
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