Calculation of anti-tank missiles. Anti-tank missile system "Kornet"

With their appearance on the battlefield, tanks and other armored vehicles intensified the development of adequate countermeasures. One of the most advanced and formidable anti-tank weapons in combat today are ATGMs - anti-tank missile systems. Over time, ATGMs have evolved from a means of combating enemy armored vehicles to one of the most multifunctional types of high-precision weapons. Thanks to the ability to hit a wide range of targets (including airborne ones), ATGMs have become an effective reserve for combined arms commanders and one of the most mass species weapons. All this is clearly confirmed by the experience of using these complexes over the past 60 years, when they were used in almost all armed conflicts and local wars.

The birthplace of ATGMs is Germany

The creator of the first ATGMs - anti-tank guided missiles, as well as many other interesting military developments, is considered to be Germany and specifically the engineer Max Kramer. In 1941, BMW began research and development work in the field of guided missiles. The development of the world's first ATGM known as the Panzerabwehrrakete X-7 (defensive anti-tank missile) began in 1943. This missile was named X-7 Rotkappchen (translated from German as “Little Red Riding Hood”). The main one for this ATGM was the X-4 air-to-air guided missile. The first 7 test launches of the rocket were carried out on September 21, 1944, and at the end of 1944 - beginning of 1945, about a hundred more launches were carried out in Germany.

By the spring of the last year of the war, the Ruhrstal Brekwede company produced about 300 Panzerabwehrrakete X-7, the rocket was made according to the “tailless” aerodynamic design. The cigar-shaped rocket body is 790 mm long. and diameter 140 mm. equipped with a stabilizer on an outrigger beam and 2 forward-swept wings. At the ends of the wings, 2 containers with wires were mounted. The ATGM was aimed at the target using a special tracer located in the rear part of its body. The missile gunner was required to ensure that this marker was aimed exactly at the target throughout its flight. The “Little Red Riding Hood” launcher was an ordinary rail tripod, 1.5 m long and weighing 15 kg. The weight of the ATGM was 9 kg. To date, not a single reliable evidence has been found of the use of these missiles in combat conditions.

After the war, samples of the X-7 were used by the victorious states to create their own ATGMs. At the same time, the most significant successes in creating such missiles were achieved in the West. In France, in 1948, the SS-10 ATGM was created on the basis of the Little Red Riding Hood; in Switzerland, the Cobra ATGM was designed two years earlier.

First generation ATGM

On May 8, 1957, the USSR issued a government decree on the creation of guided missile weapons. And already on May 28 of the same year, the Kolomenskoye Design Bureau began creating the Shmel ATGM. The work on creating rockets was headed by the young engineer S.P. Nepobedimy. The main principle that guided the creators of the rocket was its simplification; of the complex instruments, only a fuse and a two-stage gyroscope remained in it. The missile was controlled by an operator, while commands to the missile were transmitted via a two-wire cable that was unwound from a reel mounted in the ATGM. The design of the rocket itself was also extremely simple: at the base there was a cumulative combat unit, behind it there was a gyroscope, then a reel with a cable, and then the sustainer and starting solid propellant engines.

In April 1958, the first test launches of the still uncontrollable “Bumblebees” were carried out, in the summer they tested controlled versions, and already on August 28, the ZM6 “Bumblebee” ATGM as part of the 2K15 complex was demonstrated to the military-political leadership of the USSR at the Kapustin Yar training ground. On August 1, 1960, the Shmel was finally adopted by the Soviet Army. The first generation ATGM systems experienced their baptism of fire in the war between Israel and Egypt in 1956 (French-made SS-10s were used). Soviet Shmel anti-tank systems were first used in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

ATGM "Malyutka"

A feature of all first-generation ATGMs was that the missile was aimed at the target manually (the “three-point” method); the operator used a joystick to align the missile with the target, keeping it constantly in view. The transmission of commands from the ATGM to the missile was carried out through a wire that unwound from a special coil installed in the missile itself. The speed of the first ATGMs was 150-200 m/s, the probability of hitting the target was 60-70%, such missiles had a “dead zone” of 200-400 meters, the minimum firing distance was 500 meters, the maximum was 3 kilometers. One of the most famous first-generation ATGMs was the Soviet Malyutka complex.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the Malyutka ATGM:

Firing range, minimum – 500 m, maximum – 3,000 m;
Guidance system: command, wire, manual;
Armor penetration of cumulative warheads – up to 400 mm;
The weight of the warhead is 2.6 kg.

Second generation ATGM

An analysis of the use of ATGMs in real armed conflicts demonstrated the need to improve this type of weapon, since the first generation ATGMs, due to manual control, were sufficiently effective only at a range of no more than 1 kilometer. Such missiles had a low marching speed and low rate of fire. Their use required highly skilled operators. All this was the reason that designers began work on new generation complexes, in which they tried to eliminate these problems or reduce their impact. This is how the second generation ATGMs with a semi-automatic guidance system were born. Research and development work on their creation began in 1961.

The warheads of the new ATGMs with equal warhead mass in comparison with the first generation usually had 1.5-2 times greater armor penetration. Average flight speeds increased to 160-200 m/s. The time to transfer to a combat position has been reduced to an average of 1 minute. The minimum effective firing range was reduced to 50-75 meters, which made it possible to hit targets at short distances. ATGMs were equipped with special transport and launch containers (TPCs), which were used for storing and launching ATGMs. But at the same time, a number of disadvantages remained, among which we can note the need for the gunner to accompany the entire flight of the missile until it hits the target, without changing his firing position for 20-25 seconds.

TOW ATGM first series

It is worth noting that the leaders in the development of second-generation ATGMs were the Americans, who in 1970 adopted the portable TOW system (main developer - Hughes Aircraft), and in 1972, the portable Dragon ATGM (creator - McDonnell Douglas). At the same time, in Europe, the ATGM NOT, as well as the portable MILAN (created by the Franco-German concern Euromissile), were adopted into service in West Germany and France. The first domestic ATGMs belonging to the second generation entered service with the troops in 1970, 1974 and 1978 - these are the portable ATGM 9K111 “Fagot”, the portable ATGM 9K113 “Konkurs” and the portable ATGM 9K115 “Metis”, respectively. The developer of all ATGMs was the Instrument Design Bureau from Tula.

Almost simultaneously with their adoption into service, the second generation ATGM systems were tested in real combat operations. New capabilities of the complexes led to a revision of their tactics combat use. It was suggested that the complexes would be divided according to methods of transportation and firing range. Now a motorized rifle or infantry platoon was given a portable complex with an effective firing range of up to 2000 meters. This ATGM was serviced by a crew of 2 people. In turn, a portable or transportable ATGM with an effective firing range of up to 4000 meters was assigned to larger units - a company or battalion.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the TOW ATGM, basic version BGM-71A:

Firing range, minimum – 65 m, maximum – 3,750 m;
Control system: guided visually from the launcher via wires;
Armor penetration of cumulative warheads – 600 mm;
The weight of the warhead is 3.9 kg.

Generation 2+ ATGM

The creation and modernization of the second generation ATGM was carried out continuously and as new technical capabilities emerged. Subsequently, many complexes painlessly evolved to generation 2+. Thanks to the use of the latest scientific and technical achievements, ATGMs became formidable high-precision weapons that made it possible to effectively hit a wide range of targets. One of the most illustrative examples of the effective use of complexes of this generation was the use of the Shturm ATGM. For example, in 2003, the Iraqi military, thanks to the use of Shturm-S and Shturm-V ATGMs, were able to hit 43 enemy MBTs of the latest developments, as well as more than 70 different armored vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns, air defense systems and anti-tank systems of coalition forces.

ATGM Shturm-S

These systems were also successfully used during the Georgian-Russian conflict in August 2008. Then, up to 2/3 of all targets (weapons, military and special equipment, as well as Georgian Armed Forces facilities) were hit through the use of air-based ATGMs. As part of the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, anti-tank missile systems were used to destroy various types of weapons, as well as bunkers, pillboxes and other types of fortified firing points, to destroy enemy personnel.

A feature of the second generation ATGM was that the missile was aimed at the target in a semi-automatic mode (two-point method). With this method of aiming, the operator of the complex only needs to combine the crosshairs of the sight and the target, and the missile is aimed at the target independently. This made it possible to increase the probability of hits to 90-95%, while maintaining the transmission of commands from the complex to the missile using a wire, maintaining the flight speed at the level of 150-200 m/s. This problem was solved after wireless communication lines appeared. After this, communication between the complex and the rocket was carried out using a special radio link that was noise-resistant and had several overlapping frequencies. In addition, ATGM tracking was also possible in the infrared range; thermal imaging sights appeared on second-generation systems.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the Shturm ATGM with the Ataka ATGM:

Firing range, minimum – 400 m, maximum – 6,000 m;
Control system: either radio command or laser beam;
Armor penetration of tandem cumulative warhead – up to 800 mm;
The weight of the warhead is 5.4 kg.

Third generation ATGM

Simultaneously with the development of means of destroying armored vehicles, and in some cases even ahead of this development, means of protection against them were improved. They also made their own adjustments to new tactics for using units and conducting combat operations. The main feature of the third generation ATGM was that the missile began to be aimed at the target completely automatically. The racket is equipped with a homing head; it automatically finds the target and destroys it.

Kornet-EM ATGM based on the Tiger

The main directions in the development of third-generation ATGMs today are as follows: increasing the likelihood of destroying an armored target with one fired missile; increase maximum range shooting; increasing the survivability of the complex on the battlefield and all-weather use; achieving high combat readiness and increasing the rate of fire; implementation of the “see-and-shoot” and “fire-and-forget” principles in practice; high noise immunity, as well as the implementation of fiber-optic data transmission to the operator with the ability to control the flight of the missile and capture the target with the homing head after the launch.

The widespread use of ATGMs as precision weapons for company-level motorized rifle units has led to another significant difference, namely the equipment of the warheads. Nowadays, third-generation ATGMs can be equipped with powerful tandem cumulative warheads providing armor penetration at the level of 1000-1200 mm, incendiary (thermobaric) and high-explosive warheads, as well as high-explosive fragmentation warheads. The most advanced Russian 3rd generation ATGMs include the Kornet-EM and Khrizantema complexes, which are well known outside Russia.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the Kornet-EM ATGM:

Firing range, minimum – 100 m, maximum – 10,000 m;
Control system: automatic with tele-orientation in the laser beam;
Armor penetration of a cumulative warhead is 1100-1300 mm.
Warhead weight - 4.6 kg;

Information sources:
-http://vpk-news.ru/articles/9133
-http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

ATGMs are anti-tank missile systems, which today represent one of the most dynamically developing segments of the global arms market. This is due to the high efficiency of these complexes. Modern ATGMs are much cheaper than tanks and are able to effectively combat this main strike weapon. ground forces. The development of the global ATGM market is also driven by the general trend towards maximizing the structural protection of all types of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles in modern armies.

Currently, the armies of many countries are actively switching from 2nd generation ATGMs (semi-automatic targeting) to third generation systems, which are built on the basis of the “fire and forget” principle. In the latter case, the operator of this complex can only take aim and launch the missile, then change position. As a result, the market for modern ATGMs was actually divided between American and Israeli defense companies. The Russian leader in sales of the Kornet ATGM, according to the Western classification, belongs to the “2+” generation ATGM.

The third generation is commonly referred to as ATGMs, which in practice implement the “fire and forget” principle. To implement this principle, seekers are used - homing heads, which are placed on board anti-tank guided missiles - ATGMs. When launching an ATGM, the operator of the complex finds the target, makes sure that the seeker has captured the target and launches. After this, the missile's flight occurs completely autonomously without communication with the launcher; the missile flies according to commands received from the seeker. The advantage of such complexes is: reduced vulnerability of the crew and the complex (since they are less exposed to enemy fire), especially when used from combat helicopters; increased noise immunity (only 1 “GOS-target” channel is used).

The first serial ATGM of the 3rd generation American FGM-148 Javelin

It is worth noting that this principle also has a number of quite significant disadvantages, the main one of which is price. The cost of the seeker and the entire complex as a whole, due to the technical complexity of production, is several times higher than the cost of the previous generation ATGM. In addition, the homing head limits combat capabilities ATGM due to the minimum firing range (in variants with damage to armored targets at high missile dive angles) or deterioration of the layout conditions for the functioning of the warhead. Along with this, the use of 3rd generation ATGMs makes it possible to attack the most vulnerable places of armored targets (for example, the roof), which makes it possible to reduce the mass of the missile (due to a smaller warhead) and its overall dimensions, along with this, the missile’s ability to autonomously target armored vehicles increases the likelihood of her defeat.

Taking into account the dynamic nature modern battles, it would be advisable to keep both 2nd and 3rd generation missiles in the ammunition supply of helicopters and self-propelled ATGMs. At the same time, in an ideal case, the third generation PUTR should be unified to the maximum with the modification of the second generation missile. Regarding Russia, we can note the fact that as a result of perestroika and subsequent market reforms, the period of collapse of the military-industrial complex, lack of funding and subsequent stabilization, a full-fledged third-generation ATGM was never put into service in Russia.

At the same time, the Tula Design Bureau has its own view on this problem. Currently, most Western experts consider the implementation of the “fire and forget” principle to be the main feature by which an ATGM can be classified as the 3rd generation, therefore the Russian Kornet ATGM is conventionally classified as a “2+” generation complex. At the same time, the specialists of the Tula Design Bureau, despite the fact that they successfully completed work on guided missiles, decided to abandon them in the Kornet complex and believe that it compares favorably with foreign analogues on the market.

ATGM "Cornet"

The Kornet complex implements the “see-and-shoot” principle and a laser-beam control system, which allows the ATGM to achieve a large maximum firing range in comparison with Western ATGMs built on the “fire-and-forget” principle. There are other advantages, for example, the resolution of a thermal imaging sight installed on a mobile weapon carrier will be significantly higher than that of a seeker, for this reason the problem of target acquisition by the seeker at the start still remains very serious. In addition, firing at targets that do not have significant contrast in the far IR wavelength range (such targets include pillboxes, bunkers, machine gun emplacements and other structures) with missiles with a seeker is simply impossible, especially if the enemy sets up passive optical jamming. There are also certain problems associated with scaling the target image in the seeker during the missile approach, and the cost of such ATGMs is 5-7 times higher than the cost of missiles of a similar purpose for the Kornet.

It was the “efficiency-cost” criterion that became the basis for the commercial success of the Kornet ATGM in the world. It is several times cheaper than 3rd generation systems, which, figuratively speaking, fire at a target with expensive thermal imagers. The second most important criterion is a good launch range - up to 5.5 km. Along with this, the Kornet ATGM, like a number of other domestic anti-tank systems, is subject to constant criticism due to the insufficient ability to overcome dynamic protection on modern foreign MBTs.

Despite this, Kornet-E is the most successful Russian ATGM that is exported. Parties of this complex have already been purchased by 16 countries, including Algeria, Greece, India, Jordan, UAE, Syria, South Korea. The latest deep modernization of the ATGM called “Kornet-EM” has a firing range of up to 10 km, which is prohibitive for foreign analogues. Moreover, this complex is able to fire at both ground and air targets (such as helicopters and UAVs).

ATGM "Sturm-S"

Its ammunition load includes both armor-piercing ATGMs with a cumulative warhead and universal missiles with a high-explosive warhead. However, it is worth noting the fact that abroad they quickly lost interest in such complexes. This, for example, happened with the ADATS (Air Defense Anti-Tank System) complex, which was developed jointly by the American company Martin Marietta and the Swiss company Oerlikon Contraves AG. This complex was adopted by the armies of Thailand and Canada, and the United States, having placed a large order, eventually abandoned it. In 2012, the complex was removed from service by the Canadian Army.

Another Russian development of the 2nd generation “Metis-M” with a firing range of 1.5 km, as well as “Metis-M1” (2 km) with a semi-automatic wire guidance system, also has good export indicators.

At one time, Russia relied on the development of a combined system of anti-tank weapons, which would implement both the “see-shoot” and “fire-and-forget” principles - with the main emphasis on the relatively low cost of anti-tank systems. It was assumed that the anti-tank defense would be represented by 3 complexes of different standard equipment. In the defense zone from the front edge up to 15 km. deep into the enemy's defenses, it was planned to use lightweight portable ATGMs with a firing range of up to 2.5 km, portable and self-propelled ATGMs with a firing range of up to 5.5 km, and self-propelled Hermes long-range ATGMs located on the BMP-3 chassis and capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 15 km.

The control system of the promising multi-purpose ATGM Hermes is a combined one. During the initial phase of the flight, the ATGM is controlled by an inertial system. At the final stage of the flight, semi-active laser homing of the missile to the target using laser radiation reflected from the target is used, as well as radar or infrared homing. This complex was developed in 3 main versions: ground, aviation and sea. At present, work is officially underway only on the aviation version of the complex - Hermes-A. In the future, this complex can also be equipped with the Pantsir-S1 air defense system, developed by the same Instrument Design Bureau (Tula). At one time, a third-generation ATGM “Avtonomiya” with an infrared homing system was also created in Tula, but it was never brought to the level of mass production.

ATGM "Chrysanthemum-S"

One of the latest developments of KBM - Kolomna Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau is a modernized version self-propelled complex"Sturm" ("Shturm-SM"), which received the multifunctional "Attack" missile with a launch range of 6 km. To search for possible targets around the clock, the new complex received a surveillance and targeting system with a thermal imaging and television channel. During the civil war in Libya, another Kolomna development underwent a baptism of fire - the self-propelled ATGM "Chrysanthemum-S" (launch range 6 km). This complex was used by the rebels. "Chrysanthemum-S" uses a combined target guidance system - semi-automatic with PTGM guidance in a laser beam and automatic radar in the millimeter range with ATGM guidance in a radio beam.

It is worth noting the fact that the Western trend regarding armored self-propelled ATGMs is their removal from service and low demand. At the same time, a serial infantry (portable, transportable or self-propelled) ATGM with an infrared target homing system - IIR and memorizing target contours, which would implement the “fire-and-forget” principle in service Russian army No. And there are serious doubts about the desire and ability of the Russian Ministry of Defense to acquire such expensive systems.

Currently, the production of products exclusively for export is no longer the main thing for the domestic defense industry, as it was quite recently. At the same time, almost all foreign armies are re-equipping with 3rd generation systems and all tenders often come down to competition between the Israeli Spike ATGM and the American Javelin ATGM. Despite this, there are still a large number of foreign customers in the world who cannot purchase these complexes, for example, for political reasons; Russia can be calm about such sales markets.

Information sources:
http://vpk-news.ru/articles/13974
http://btvt.narod.ru/4/kornet.htm
http://www.xliby.ru/transport_i_aviacija/tehnika_i_vooruzhenie_2000_10/p5.php

The company's scientists and engineers, under the leadership of chief designer Harald Wolf (and then Count Helmut von Zborowski), proactively carried out a series of basic research and research work with a tactical and technical justification for practical military necessity and a feasibility study for the economic feasibility of serial production of wire-guided feathered anti-tank missiles, according to the conclusions of which ATGM will help to significantly increase:

• The likelihood of hitting enemy tanks and heavy armored vehicles at distances inaccessible to existing weapons;
• Effective firing range, which will make tank combat at a great distance possible;
• Vitality German troops and military equipment located at a safe distance from the maximum range of effective enemy fire.

In 1941, as part of factory tests, they carried out a series of development work, which showed that the listed goals can be achieved by successfully solving the problem of guaranteed destruction of enemy heavy armored vehicles at a much greater distance with the already existing level of development of technologies for the production of rocket fuel and rocket engines ( By the way, during the war, BMW chemists synthesized in laboratories and tested more than three thousand different varieties rocket fuel) using fly-by-wire technology. The introduction of BMW developments into practice and their introduction into service was prevented by events of a military-political nature.

Since by the time of the supposed start of state tests of the developed missiles, the campaign on the Eastern Front had begun, the success of the German troops was so stunning, and the pace of the offensive was so rapid that representatives of the army command any ideas incomprehensible to them for the development of weapons and military equipment were completely uninteresting (this applied not only missiles, but also electronic computer technology, and many other achievements of German scientists), and military officials from the Army Weapons Office and the Imperial Ministry of Armaments, who were responsible for the introduction of promising developments into the troops, did not even consider it necessary to consider such an untimely application - party -the state apparatus and officials from among the NSDAP members were one of the first obstacles to the implementation of military innovations. In addition, a number of tank aces of the German Panzerwaffe had a personal battle count of tens and hundreds of destroyed enemy tanks (the absolute record holder is Kurt Knispel with a count of more than one and a half hundred tanks).

Thus, the logic of imperial arms officials is not difficult to understand: they saw no reason to question the combat effectiveness of German tank guns, as well as other anti-tank weapons already available and available in large quantities - there was no urgent practical need for this. An important role was played by the personal factor, expressed in the personal contradictions of the then Reich Minister of Armaments and Ammunition Fritz Todt and General Director BMW by Franz Josef Popp (German), since the latter, unlike Ferdinand Porsche, Willy Messerschmitt and Ernst Heinkel, was not one of the Fuhrer’s favorites, and therefore did not have the same independence in decision-making and influence on the departmental sidelines: the Ministry of Armaments in every possible way prevented BMW management from implementing its own development program missile weapons and equipment, and directly indicated that they should not engage in abstract research - the role of the parent organization in the development program of German infantry tactical missiles was assigned to the metallurgical company Ruhrstahl (German) with much more modest developments in this field and a much smaller staff of scientists for their successful development.

The question of the further creation of guided anti-tank missiles was postponed for several years. Work in this direction intensified only with the transition of German troops to defense on all fronts, but if in the early 1940s this could be done relatively quickly and without unnecessary red tape, then in 1943-1944 imperial officials simply had no time for it, before they faced more pressing issues of providing the army with armor-piercing anti-tank shells, grenades, faustpatrons and other ammunition manufactured by German industry in millions of pieces, taking into account the average tank production rates of the Soviet and American industries (70 and 46 tanks per day, respectively), wasting time on expensive and untested No one was collecting single copies of guided weapons; in addition, in this regard, there was a personal order of the Fuhrer, who prohibited the expenditure of government funds on any abstract research if they did not guarantee a tangible result within six months from the start of development.

One way or another, after Albert Speer took over as Reich Minister of Armament, work in this direction resumed, but only in the laboratories of Ruhrstahl and two other metallurgical companies (Rheinmetall-Borsig), while BMW was assigned only the task of design and production rocket engines. In fact, orders for serial production of ATGMs were placed only in 1944, at the factories of the named companies.

First production samples

1. Ready for combat use The Wehrmacht had pre-production or production models of ATGMs already by the end of the summer of 1943;
2. This was not about isolated experimental launches by factory testers, but about field military tests by military personnel of certain types of weapons;
3. Military tests took place at the forefront, in conditions of intense highly maneuverable combat operations, and not in conditions of trench warfare;
4. The launchers of the first German ATGMs were compact enough to be placed in trenches and camouflaged using improvised means;
5. The activation of the warhead upon contact with the surface of the target under fire led to virtually no alternative to the destruction of the armored target with scattering into fragments (the number of ricochets and cases of warhead failures, misses and emergency situations, as well as in general any accounting and statistics of cases of use of ATGMs by the Germans were not given in the open Soviet military press, only general description eyewitnesses of observed phenomena and their impressions of what they saw).

First large-scale combat use

For the first time since World War II, French-made SS.10 ATGMs (Nord Aviation) were used in combat in Egypt in 1956. ATGM 9K11 "Malyutka" (made in the USSR) were supplied to the armed forces of the UAR before the Third Arab-Israeli War in 1967. At the same time, the need to manually aim missiles until they hit the target led to an increase in losses among operators - Israeli tank crews and infantry actively fired machine-gun and cannon weapons at the site of the intended ATGM launch; if the operator was injured or died, the missile lost control and began to lay down orbits spiral, with an amplitude increasingly increasing with each revolution, as a result, after two or three seconds it stuck into the ground or went into the sky. This problem was partly compensated by the possibility of moving the operator’s position with the guidance station up to a hundred meters or more away from the missile launch positions thanks to compact portable cable reels that could be unwound to the required length if necessary, which significantly complicated the task of neutralizing the missile operators for the opposing side.

Anti-tank missiles for barrel systems

In the United States in the 1950s, work was carried out to create anti-tank guided missiles. rockets for firing from recoilless infantry barrel systems (since the development of unguided ammunition had already reached its limit in terms of effective firing range by that time). The management of these projects was taken over by the Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (for all other projects of anti-tank missiles launched from guides, from a launch tube or a tank gun, the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama was responsible), practical implementation went in two main directions - 1) " Gap" (eng. GAP, back from guided antitank projectile) - guidance on the sustaining and terminal sections of the projectile’s flight path, 2) “TCP” (eng. TCP, terminally corrected projectile) - guidance only on the terminal portion of the projectile flight path. A number of weapons created as part of specified programs and implementing the principles of wire guidance (“Sidekick”), radio command guidance (“Shilleila”) and semi-active homing with radar illumination of the target (“Polcat”), successfully passed tests and was manufactured in pilot batches, but it did not reach large-scale production.

In addition, first in the USA and then in the USSR, guided weapon systems for tanks and combat vehicles with barrel weapons (KUV or KUVT) were developed, which are a feathered anti-tank guided projectile (in the dimensions of a regular tank projectile), launched from a tank gun and coupled with appropriate control system. The control equipment for such an ATGM is integrated into sighting system tank. American complexes Combat Vehicle Weapon System) from the very beginning of their development, that is, from the late 1950s, they used a radio command guidance system, Soviet complexes from the moment they began development until the mid-1970s. implemented a wire guidance system. Both American and Soviet KUVT made it possible to use a tank gun for its main purpose, that is, to fire ordinary armor-piercing or high-explosive fragmentation shells, which significantly and qualitatively increased the fire capabilities of the tank in comparison with combat vehicles equipped with ATGMs launched from external guides.

In the USSR, and then Russia, the main developers of anti-tank missile systems are the Tula Instrument Design Bureau and the Kolomenskoe Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau.

Development prospects

Prospects for the development of ATGMs are associated with the transition to “fire-and-forget” systems (with homing heads), increasing the noise immunity of the control channel, hitting armored vehicles in the least protected parts (thin upper armor), installing tandem warheads (to overcome dynamic protection), using a chassis with a launcher installation on a mast.

Classification

ATGMs can be classified:

By type of guidance system

• operator-guided (with command guidance system)
• homing

by control channel type

• wire controlled
• laser controlled
• radio controlled

by pointing method

• manual: the operator “pilots” the missile until it hits the target;
• semi-automatic: the operator in the sight accompanies the target, the equipment automatically tracks the flight of the missile (usually using the tail tracer) and generates the necessary control commands for it;
• automatic: the missile automatically aims at a given target.

by mobility category

• portable

• worn by the operator alone
• transferred by calculation

• disassembled
• assembled, ready for combat use

• towed
• self-propelled

• integrated
• removable combat modules
• transported in a body or on a platform

• aviation

• helicopter
• aircraft
• unmanned aerial vehicles;

by generation of development

The following generations of ATGM development are distinguished:

• First generation(tracking both the target and the missile itself) - completely manual control (MCLOS - manual command to line of sight): the operator (most often with a joystick) controlled the flight of the missile by wire until it hit the target. At the same time, in order to avoid contact of sagging wires with interference, it is necessary to be in direct visibility of the target and above possible interference (for example, grass or tree crowns) during the entire long flight time of the missile (up to 30 seconds), which reduces the operator’s protection from return fire. The first generation ATGMs (SS-10, “Malyutka”, Nord SS.10) required highly qualified operators, control was carried out by wire, however, due to their relative compactness and high efficiency, ATGMs led to the revival and new flourishing of highly specialized “tank destroyers” - helicopters, light armored vehicles and SUVs.
• Second generation(target tracking) - the so-called SACLOS (eng. Semi-automatic command to line of sight ; semi-automatic control) required the operator to only hold the aiming mark on the target, while the flight of the missile was controlled automatically, sending control commands to the missile via wires, radio channel or laser beam. However, as before, the operator had to remain motionless during the flight, and control by wire forced him to plan the rocket’s flight path away from possible interference. Such missiles were launched, as a rule, from a dominant height, when the target was below the operator's level. Representatives: "Competition" and Hellfire I; generation 2+ - “Cornet”.
• Third generation(homing) - implements the “fire and forget” principle: after the shot the operator is not constrained in movement. Guidance is carried out either by illumination with a laser beam from the side, or the ATGM is equipped with an IR, ARGSN or millimeter-range PRGSN. These missiles do not require an operator to accompany them in flight, but they are less resistant to interference than the first generations (MCLOS and SACLOS). Representatives: Javelin (USA), Spike (Israel), LAHAT (Israel), PARS 3 LR(Germany), Nag (India), Hongjian-12 (China).
• Fourth generation(self-launch) - promising fully autonomous robotic combat systems in which a human operator is absent as a link. Software and hardware systems allow them to independently detect, recognize, identify and make a decision to fire at a target. Currently under development and testing with varying degrees of success in different countries.

Variants and media

ATGMs and launch equipment are usually made in several versions:

• portable complex with a rocket launched

• from container
• with guide
• from the barrel of a recoilless launcher
• from the launch tube

• from a tripod machine
• from the shoulder

• installation on a vehicle chassis, armored personnel carrier/infantry fighting vehicle;
• installation on helicopters and airplanes.

The same missile is used, but the type and weight of the launcher and guidance equipment varies.

IN modern conditions Unmanned aircraft are also being considered as ATGM carriers, for example, the MQ-1 Predator is capable of carrying and using the AGM-114 Hellfire ATGM.

Means and methods of protection

When moving a missile (using laser beam guidance), it may be necessary that at least at the final stage of the trajectory, the beam is directed directly at the target. Irradiating a target may allow the enemy to use defenses. For example, the Type 99 tank is equipped with a blinding laser weapon. It determines the direction of the radiation and sends a powerful light pulse in its direction, capable of blinding the guidance system and/or the pilot. The tank took part in large-scale ground forces exercises.

Comments

1. The expression is often found anti-tank guided missile(ATGM), which, however, is not identical to an anti-tank guided missile, since it is only one of its varieties, namely a barrel-launched ATGM.
2. Which in turn was acquired by BMW in June 1939 from Siemens.
3. Harald Wolf headed the missile development division at the initial stage after it became part of BMW, and was soon replaced by Count Helmut von Zborowski, who headed the missile development division at BMW until the very end of the war, and after the war he moved to France and participated in the French missile program , collaborated with the engine-building company SNECMA and the rocket-building division of Nord Aviation.
4. K. E. Tsiolkovsky himself divided his theoretical developments into “space rockets” for launching a payload into outer space and “earth rockets” as an ultra-high-speed modern vehicle of rail rolling stock. At the same time, he did not intend to use either of them as weapons of destruction.
5. Occasionally, the word “missile” could be used in the specialized military press in relation to foreign developments in this area, usually as a translation term, as well as in a historical context. The first edition of the TSB (1941) contains the following definition of a rocket: “At present, rockets are used in military affairs as a means of signaling.”
6. See, in particular, the memoirs of V.I. Chuikov, at that time commander of the 8th Guards Army, about the Belgorod-Kharkov strategic offensive operation (fragment of the book “The Guardsmen of Stalingrad Go West”): “Here for the first time I saw how the enemy used against our tanks were anti-tank torpedoes, which were launched from the trenches and controlled by wire. When hit by a torpedo, the tank exploded into huge pieces of metal that scattered 10-20 meters away. It was hard for us to watch the destruction of the tanks until our artillery delivered a strong fire strike on the enemy’s tanks and trenches.” The Red Army soldiers failed to obtain new types of weapons; in the case described, they were destroyed by massive Soviet artillery fire. The quoted episode appears in several editions of this book.
7. It would be interesting to note that by 1965, Nord Aviation had become a world leader in the production and sale of ATGMs on the international arms market and practically a monopolist of their production among the countries of the capitalist world - 80% of the ATGM arsenals of capitalist countries and their satellites were French SS.10, SS missiles .11, SS.12 and ENTAC, of ​​which by that time a total of about 250 thousand units had been produced, and in addition to which at the exhibition of weapons and military equipment during the 26th Paris International Air Show in June 10-21, 1965 the joint Franco-German HOT and Milan were presented.

Notes

1. Military encyclopedic Dictionary. / Ed. S. F. Akhromeeva, IVIMO USSR. - 2nd ed. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1986. - P. 598 - 863 p.
2. Artillery // Encyclopedia “Around the World”.
3. Lehmann, Jörn. Einhundert Jahre Heidekrautbahn: eine Liebenwalder Sicht. - Berlin: ERS-Verlag, 2001. - S. 57 - 95 s. - (Liebenwalder Heimathefte; 4) - ISBN 3-928577-40-9.
4. Zborowski, H. von ; Brunoy, S. ; Brunoy, O. BMW-Developments. // . - P. 297-324.
5. Backofen, Joseph E. Shaped Charges Versus Armor-Part II. // Armor: The Magazine of Mobile Warfare. - Fort Knox, KY: U.S. Army Armor Center, September-October 1980. - Vol. 89 - No. 5 - P. 20.
6. Gatland, Kenneth William. Development of the Guided Missile. - L.: Iliffe & Sons, 1954. - P. 24, 270-271 - 292 p.

1. "Bassoon": "Bassoon" (GRAU index - 9K111, according to the US and NATO classification - AT-4 Spigot, English Crane (bushing)) - Soviet / Russian portable anti-tank missile system with semi-automatic command guidance by wire. Designed to destroy visually observable targets stationary and moving at speeds up to 60 km/h (enemy armored vehicles, shelters and fire weapons) at ranges of up to 2 km, and with the 9M113 missile - up to 4 km.

Developed at the Instrument Design Bureau (Tula) and TsNIITochMash. Adopted into service in 1970. The modernized version is 9M111-2, a version of the missile with an increased flight range and increased armor penetration is 9M111M.

The complex includes:

folding portable launcher with control equipment and launch mechanism;

9M111 (9M111-2) missiles in transport and launch containers (TPC);

spare tools and accessories (SPTA);

testing equipment and other auxiliary equipment.

Easy to use, can be carried by a team of two people. The weight of the crew commander's pack N1 with the launcher is 22.5 kg. The second crew number carries the N2 pack weighing 26.85 kg with two missiles into the TPK.

2. “Cornet”: “Cornet” (GRAU Index - 9K135, according to the classification of the US Defense Ministry and NATO: AT-14 Spriggan) is an anti-tank missile system developed by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau. Developed on the basis of the Reflex tank guided weapon system, retaining its main layout solutions. Designed to destroy tanks and other armored targets, including those equipped with modern dynamic defense systems. The modification of the Kornet-D ATGM can also hit air targets.

3. “Konkurs” (complex index - 9K111-1, missiles - 9M113, original name - “Oboe”, according to the classification of the US Department of Defense and NATO - AT-5 Spandrel, literally “Superstructure”) - a Soviet self-propelled anti-tank missile system. It was developed at the Instrument Design Bureau, Tula. Designed to destroy tanks, engineering and fortifications.

Subsequently, a modification 9K111-1M “Konkurs-M” (original name - “Udar”) was developed with improved characteristics (tandem warhead), which was put into service in 1991. The Konkurs ATGM was produced under license in the GDR, Iran (the so-called Towsan-1, since 2000) and India (Konkurs-M).

4. "Chrysanthemum" (Complex/missile index - 9K123/9M123, according to NATO and US Defense Department classification - AT-15 Springer) - self-propelled anti-tank missile system.

It was developed at the Kolomna Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau. Designed to destroy tanks (including those equipped with dynamic protection), infantry fighting vehicles and other lightly armored targets, engineering and fortification structures, surface targets, low-speed air targets, manpower (including in shelters and open areas).

The complex has a combined missile control system:

automatic radar in the millimeter range with missile guidance in the radio beam;

semi-automatic with missile guidance in a laser beam

Two containers with missiles can be installed on the launcher at the same time. The missiles are launched sequentially.

The ammunition load of the Khrizantema-S ATGM consists of four types of ATGMs in the TPK: 9M123 with laser beam guidance and 9M123-2 with radio beam guidance, with an over-caliber tandem-cumulative warhead and missiles 9M123F and 9M123F-2, respectively with laser and radio beam guidance, with a high-explosive (thermobaric) warhead.

5. "Metis" (complex/missile index - 9K115, according to NATO and US Defense Department classification - AT-7 Saxhorn) - Soviet/Russian company-level man-portable anti-tank missile system with semi-automatic command guidance by wire. Refers to the second generation ATGM. Developed by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau.

It will not be a secret to anyone that many copies, models, systems of the domestic, or rather, the Soviet defense industry, were rightfully considered the best weapons in the world. This applies not only small arms(Kalashnikov assault rifles, Mosin rifles and others), but also armored vehicles and even missile systems. Russian, “Bassoons” are used with deserved success in the armed forces of many countries around the world.

At the same time, it must be said that Western arms manufacturers can also surprise with their developments, which are in no way inferior, and in some cases may even be ahead of domestic weapons in their tactical technical specifications.

Today's realities are such that, thanks to the rapid growth of China's defense industry and the active actions of the West, many states refuse to cooperate with Russia, including for purely political reasons. Therefore, the promotion of Russian weapons and armored vehicles is not going as desired. That is why potential buyers are focusing on Western-made weapons. Therefore, below we will give examples of the main competitors of domestic ATGMs, which we mentioned in.

Thus, the most widespread Western development is BGM-71 TOW- a universal ATGM that can be mounted either on the chassis of tracked or wheeled vehicles, or installed in a stationary position. The complex was put into service in 1970. It uses semi-automatic, command-driven missile guidance, which is carried out by the operator. The BGM-71 TOW is one of the most common ATGMs in the world. In addition to American troops, it is in service with a number of European armies and Israel.

This complex has a large number of modifications: BGM-71B, BGM-71C Improved TOW, BGM-71D TOW-2, BGM-71E TOW-2A, BGM-71F TOW-2B, TOW-2N, BGM-71G, BGM-71H, TOW, TOW-2B Aero, TOW-2B Aero, MAPATS.

To a certain extent, the American complex is similar to domestic ones (semi-automatic command control), but at the same time it costs much more not only in operation, but also directly in production. The average cost of a BGM-71 TOW reaches 60 thousand dollars, which is a significant amount even for non-poor countries.

It is known that these American systems were used in the Vietnam War of 1957-1975, the Iran-Iraq military conflict of 1980-1988, the Lebanon War of 1982, during the Gulf War of 1990-1991, as well as in during the UN peacekeeping operation in Somalia in 1992-1995, in the Iraq war of 2003-2010.

In total, more than 700 thousand missiles were produced, and more than a thousand anti-tank guided missiles were exported during the period 1999-2007 alone.

Also currently in the American army, one of the most common armor-piercing systems is FGM-148 Javelin ATGM, which was put into service in 1996. This complex is designed to destroy not only armored vehicles, but also protected objects, in particular, bunkers and pillboxes, as well as low-flying, low-speed targets (drones, helicopters). This is the first serial complex of the third generation with an infrared guidance system that ensures operation on the “fire and forget” principle.

The caliber of the complex's rocket is 127 mm, its length reaches almost 1.1 m, and its weight is 11.8 kg. The total weight of the complex is 22.25 kg. The complex can fire at a distance from 50 m to 2.5 km with a maximum rocket speed of 290 meters per second. The missile provides armor penetration of 70 cm.

The complex was initially developed to replace the M47 Dragon anti-tank missiles, which were in service with the American army until 1975. It is known that the total cost of the development and production program of the complex was $5 billion, and the cost of one unit is close to $100 thousand, which makes the FGM-148 Javelin the most expensive ATGM in the entire history of the existence of such weapons.

The FGM-148 Javelin missile is made according to a traditional aerodynamic design with drop-down wings and is equipped with an infrared homing head and a tandem warhead. It can attack a target either directly or from above, which makes it possible to hit all modern types of tanks. And due to the “soft trigger” system, shooting from a closed room is possible.

Guiding ammunition is possible in difficult weather conditions, at any time of the day and in conditions of increased smoke. At the same time, it is impossible to counter the missile using simple optical-electronic suppression means, since the guidance system does not receive a modulated signal.

Due to its relatively light weight, the complex can be transported over relatively long distances, but at the same time its dimensions do not allow movement in forests or bushes. After the complex is brought into working condition, the shot must be fired within a few minutes, since the product becomes expended regardless of whether the shot was fired.

Another American-made anti-tank missile system - FGM-172 SRAW/Predator. It is designed to destroy battle tanks, lightly armored vehicles, as well as long-term defensive structures at a range of up to 600 m.

The caliber of the rocket reaches 141.5 mm. The total weight of the complex is 9 kg, while the mass of the rocket reaches just over 3 kg.

This complex is relatively inexpensive and light weapons disposable with a simplified guidance system. The rocket is launched by one person from the “shoulder” position. Like the FGM-148 Javelin, it features a soft release with low levels of smoke, infrared radiation and sound, allowing it to be used from enclosed spaces.

The FGM-172 SRAW consists of a transport and launch container, a missile, an optical sight and a launch mechanism. It was developed to replace the M-136 and M-72 LAW anti-tank grenade launchers, which are in service with the American Marines. It was assumed that this complex would complement the FGM-148 Javelin.

In Europe, in the mid-70s of the last century, Great Britain, France and Germany began working together to create a third-generation anti-tank missile system with an infrared guidance system. The result of their work was the emergence of a portable anti-tank missile system TRIGAT MR, the purpose of which was to destroy armored targets at a range of up to 2.2 km.

The launcher is equipped with a thermal imaging sight, a trigger mechanism, and a power source. The missile is controlled by a coded laser beam. The only action the launcher operator performs during a shot is to keep the crosshairs on the target. The operator can also change the target for the missile during its flight.

The weight of the launcher of this complex is 17 kg, the mass of the rocket is 15 kg with a length of 1045 cm and a diameter of 15.2 cm. The weight of the warhead reaches 5 kg. The range of the projectile ranges from 200 m to 2.4 km, and it flies to its maximum distance in 12 s.

The installation can be used in a temperature range from -46 to +63 degrees Celsius.

Later, only the Germans continued the development of the complex in a helicopter version with a long-range missile (up to 5 km) LR-TRIGAT, ordering 700 missiles of this power from the European concern MBDA to arm Tiger helicopters; all other customers of these vehicles refused the missiles.

It should also be noted that the MBDA concern continues to work on the production of the very popular ATGM MILAN second generation. This is a joint Franco-German anti-tank man-portable missile system, which was put into service in 1972, gaining wide popularity around the world.

The complex includes a launcher (consists of an electronic unit, a sight, a power source and a control panel) and a launch container with a missile. The total weight of the complex is 37.2 kg, the mass of the rocket reaches 6.73 kg, its length is 769 mm, and the wingspan is 26 cm. The rocket launches at a speed of 75 m/s, accelerating to a maximum of 200 m/s. The flight range ranges from 25 m to 3 km, while armor penetration reaches 80 cm.

The complex has a number of modifications: Milan 2, Milan 2T, Milan 3, Milan ER. MILAN was used by anti-Iraqi coalition troops during Operation Desert Storm, but the complex’s missiles were unable to penetrate the armor of Iraqi T-55 tanks.

Currently, the complex is in service with 44 countries, including Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Armenia, Belgium, Syria, Libya and India.

The French army today uses lightweight portable ATGM Eryx. This is a short-range complex, the main purpose of which is to destroy tanks, fortifications and engineering structures, and surface targets. It is possible to launch a rocket not only from a tripod machine, but also from the “shoulder” position. The complex is equipped with a semi-automatic command guidance system.

The total weight of the complex with a tripod reaches 15.8 kg, the mass of the rocket is 10.2 kg. The length of the rocket is 89.1 cm, the diameter is 13.6 cm. The rocket launches at a speed of 18 m/s and reaches a maximum speed of 245 m/s. The firing range ranges from 50 to 600 m, armor-piercing - 90 cm.

Currently, the complex is in service with the armies of Brazil, Canada, Norway, Turkey, Malaysia, France and Chad.

Another light short-range anti-tank missile system is produced by the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics. This - RB-57 NLAW with an inertial guidance system. This is a new generation complex, which is designed to destroy tanks and armored vehicles equipped with dynamic protection at short range. Only one person is required to operate it. The total weight of the complex is 12 kg, the missile's flight range ranges from 20 to 600 m, and the complex is brought from the stowed to the combat position in 5 seconds.

The defeat can be carried out not only frontally, but also from above. Can be started from enclosed spaces.

Sweden produces another man-portable anti-tank missile system, which at one time became the first anti-tank missile system capable of hitting targets from above. This RBS-56 BILL. Its main purpose is to destroy battle tanks, infantry armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery installations and other armored vehicles, as well as fortifications at a distance of 150 m to 2.2 km.

The missile's destructive properties were improved by increasing the weight of the shaped charge and its diameter, as well as by using an unusual design and circuit design. The direction of the warhead's cumulative jet is deviated from the longitudinal axis of the missile by 30 degrees, and the missile's flight path passes 1 m above the guidance line, which makes it possible to avoid obstacles on the ground and hit the target from above.

The complex consists of a launcher on a tripod adjustable in height, a missile in a launch container, and a sight. To operate it, three people are required - a commander, an operator and a loader. It takes 10-15 seconds to deploy the complex from its traveling state into combat mode. It is possible to fire from a standing, lying, sitting, or kneeling position.

Israeli specialists also provide worthy competition to American manufacturers of transportable and man-portable anti-tank missile systems. The most successful man-portable missile system is the family Spike. These are multifunctional anti-tank missile systems that are designed to destroy tanks, fortifications and engineering structures, as well as surface targets.

The complexes of this series have a firing range from 400 m to 8 km (Spike-ER), the weight of the missile is 9 kg, the diameter is 17 cm. The warhead is tandem cumulative, weighs 3 kg. The rocket can reach a speed of about 130-180 m/s.

The Spike complex has a number of modifications: Mini-Spike, Spike-SR, Spike-MR, Spike-LR, Spike-ER. Separately, it is necessary to highlight the Spike NLOS variant, which uses an anti-tank missile with optoelectronic guidance and a range of up to 25 km. The weight of the complex is 71 kg.

All variants of the Spike complex have an infrared guidance system, which in some models is supplemented by a fiber-optic control system. Due to this, in terms of its technical characteristics, the Israeli complex is significantly ahead of the American Javelin.

Currently, the complex is in service with many countries of the world, in particular, France, Germany, Israel, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Chile, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Peru, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Ecuador, Finland, Romania.

Another Israeli anti-tank missile system, which is in service with the Israeli armed forces and is also exported - MAPATS, which is developed on the basis of the American TOW complex.

This complex was developed in the early 80s. The developers were faced with the task of creating a laser-guided anti-tank missile system for the Israeli army in order to expand the capabilities of wire-guided ATGMs.

The weight of the rocket in the container is 29 kg, the starting weight of the charge is 18.5 kg, and the mass of the warhead reaches 3.6 kg. The rocket has a length of 145 cm. The total weight of the complex is 66 kg. The missile can fly up to 5 km with a maximum speed of 315 m/s. In this case, the armor penetration is 80 cm.

China also has its own production of ATGMs. True, by and large, many Chinese complexes are copies Soviet technology. Thus, the main anti-tank missile system in the Chinese army remains a modernized copy of the Soviet Malyutka complex. This is about ATGM HJ-73, equipped with a semi-automatic guidance system. This complex belongs to the first generation of ATGMs, which were adopted by the Chinese army in 1979. It is used as a portable complex and is also installed on combat vehicles infantry, light automobile chassis.

Over the course of several decades, the HJ-73 was repeatedly upgraded in order to increase its combat effectiveness and armor-piercing power. The complex includes a guided solid-fuel rocket, a launcher, and control equipment.

There are the following modifications of the complex: HJ-73B, HJ-73C. However, despite the modernization, in general the HJ-73 retained the shortcomings characteristic of its prototype: low level of combat readiness, low missile flight speed.

The missile can cover distances from 500 m to 3 km at a speed of 120 m/s. The weight of the rocket reaches 11.3 kg, length - 86.8 cm, diameter - 12 cm. Armor-piercing with these parameters is 50 cm. The weight of the launcher is 32 kg. To transfer from traveling to combat position it takes almost 2 minutes.

To replace the HJ-73 was developed Second generation ATGM HJ-8, which is a copy of the American TOW. Development of the complex began back in 1970, and only 14 years later it was tested and delivered to the troops. In the Chinese army, it is used as a transportable complex, and is also placed on infantry fighting vehicles, helicopters and light automobile chassis.

The complex includes a guided solid-propellant missile, a launcher, an optical sight, an infrared radiation receiver, as well as a computer and auxiliary equipment for maintaining the control system and checking the serviceability of the missile.

The HJ-8 has been repeatedly upgraded to improve performance characteristics and, consequently, increase accuracy and armor-piercing power. Thus, the HJ-8A, HJ-8C, and HJ-8E variants appeared. Separately, it is necessary to note the newest modification of the complex - HJ-8L, which has the highest parameters of combat effectiveness and armor-piercing up to 1 m. New complex equipped with a lightweight launcher with a periscopic sight.

The complex in various modifications was exported to the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Thailand and countries of the African continent.

In parallel with the modernization of the Chinese HJ-8 complex, its analogue (actually a copy) was being improved in Pakistan. Baktar Shikan. Some changes were made to it compared to the original: a thermal imaging sight was installed, equipment for testing the functionality of the complex was improved, its weight was reduced, and the warhead was tandem cumulative.

The maximum flight range of the rocket is 3 km. Baktar Shikan is equipped with control equipment that allows you to automatically track the missile along the target's line of sight. For transportation, the complex is disassembled into 4 parts (sighting unit - 12.5 kg, control system unit - 24 kg, launcher - 23 kg, missile and container).

The complex can be placed on an off-road vehicle chassis and can be transported using helicopters and transport aircraft.

American TOW systems are also very successfully copied in Iran. It comes from a series of complexes Toophan(Toophan-1 and Toophan-2) with wired and laser controlled, cumulative and tandem-cumulative warhead. The diameter of the missiles of the complexes is 15.2 cm, length - 1.16 m. The weight of the projectile reaches 20 kg. The missile is capable of covering a distance of up to 3.5 km during the day and 2.5 km at night at a speed of up to 310 m/s. At the same time, its armor-piercing capacity is 55-76 cm.

A copy of another American anti-tank missile system was made in Iran Dragon (Saeghe). The M47 Dragon\Saeghe was purchased in America in 1970 and was used during the Iran-Iraq War. The complex is equipped with a semi-automatic missile control system and a cumulative warhead. The missile can cover a distance from 65 m to 1 km, while its armor-piercing power is 50 cm.

The creation of the Iranian version of the complex is an attempt to create a lightweight portable anti-tank system, which requires only one operator to operate, and which can be brought into combat condition as quickly as possible. At the same time, the missile of the complex has a short flight range and difficulties in controlling the projectile after launch. That is why this ATGM is currently in service only with certain Iranian special forces.

Copies of the Soviet Malyutka complex are also being made in Iran - ATGM Raad(with a manual missile control system, a cumulative warhead, armor-piercing 40 cm, firing range from 400 m to 3 km). In addition, there is an Iranian version of the Russian Konkurs-M ATGM - Tosan. At the moment, this particular complex is the most common anti-tank missile system, along with the American TOW and Iranian Toophan.

Tosan is equipped with a semi-automatic missile control system, the warhead is tandem-cumulative, its weight is 3.2 kg. The caliber of the rocket is 135 mm. The armor-piercing ability of the missile, according to various sources, is 67-80 cm. The missile can cover distances from 70 m to 4 km during the day and up to 2.5 km at night and using a thermal imaging sight.

There is a theoretically powerful ATGM in India. This third generation anti-tank missile system Nag with infrared guidance system. It was created in 1990 to combat existing and future tanks and armored vehicles. Capable of operating at a distance of up to 6 km. The launcher has an aiming system and hydraulic guidance drives.

The complex is located on the Russian BIP-1 chassis and is equipped with a tandem-cumulative warhead and an active radar or thermal imaging guidance head. It is possible to place additional missiles inside the armored hull.

Thus, it is quite obvious that there are enough manufacturers of weapons and military equipment in the world, and if someone does not want or cannot work with Russia, then the same ATGMs can be purchased in America, in Europe, or in China, Iran, etc. d.