Best Anti Tank Guided Missile...

[UoUo]

what do you think is the best Anti Tank Guided Missile ?

[usa320]

Hellfire, without a doubt.

[USMarine3521]

trident missiles lol :D

probably a javelin since thats the only one i know

[Ratamacue]

Javelin Anti-Armor Missile (http://www.army-technology.com/projects/javelin/index.html), even though it weighs over 22kg. (video of Javelin in action: http://www.punchbaby.com/media/gitfakt/clips/cool/JavelinLiveFireVsT72.mpg )

Predator Light Anti-Armor Missile (http://www.army-technology.com/projects/predator_kestrel/index.html). It's smaller and lighter than the Javelin (~10kg...still heavy), and has most of the same capabilities with a shorter range.

[UoUo]

..i mean in ground....fire from ground.

[usa320]

oh, in that case, Javelin.

[UoUo]

RAFAEL Gil Anti Tank Guided Missile

http://www.isayeret.com/weapons/rockets/gil/1.jpg




Made by the Israeli Armament Development Authority (RAFAEL), the Gil Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) is a highly advanced fire and forget missile. The Gil development began in the late 1980's and it entered service in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in 1999.

The Gil is considered to be the best ATGM of its kind in the world and over 90% hit ration. Part from Israel it's also used in foreign armed forces such as Finland, Holland, Norway, Poland and Singapore armed forces.

Today, the Gil is deployed by most of the IDF infantry oriented units, including both special and conventional forces, and especially by the Assisting Companies which are an integral part of each IDF infantry battalion


my choice....

[James]

I know it's not a missile, but I'm fond of what the Soviets tried (briefly) in World War Two. They trained dogs to carry explosives under German tanks. THat's what they tried, but... the dogs were trained on T-34s! When things were loud and confusing, the poor curs would run to the most familiar place they could find - the underside of a T-34. You can imagine the results.

[budanski]

LOSAT is my pick.

[UoUo]

LOSAT is my pick.

not in use yet by the army.

[Argyll]

I'll be biased here and go for MILAN(as I used to be an Anti Tank Instructor)

[Trigger]

I'd have to say the best Anti-Tank missile is the one that goes 'boom' when it's supposed to and stops the tank.
I only say this because I know squat about ATGMs :D

[GazB]

I know it's not a missile, but I'm fond of what the Soviets tried (briefly) in World War Two. They trained dogs to carry explosives under German tanks. THat's what they tried, but... the dogs were trained on T-34s! When things were loud and confusing, the poor curs would run to the most familiar place they could find - the underside of a T-34. You can imagine the results.


This is widely published in the West, and is probably wrong. For a time the Russians were short of anti tank weapons and would use anything against them, with varying degrees of success. They found that most of their artillery guns were quite effective in the early years of the war as the predominant German tank was the Panzer IV with approximately 32mm of frontal armour. Most 76.2mm guns could penetrate that, especially with solid shot, and 45mm and 57mm anti tank guns were also effective at long range. The use of dogs was suggested for areas where artillery had been left behind during the massive withdrawls that accompanied the initial attacks. Dogs were trained up on captured german tanks, most of which were petrol (ie gasoline) driven. The Dog mines as they were called were successful enough for the Germans to issue orders that Soviet dogs were all rabid and to be shot on sight, an order which over a short period lead to a shortage of dogs on the Eastern front. Dogs were used for security and mine detection and therefore were taken off anti tank duties.
They were successful enough to be included in the parades held after the liberation of various Soviet cities.

Regarding the topic I personally like the Krisantema. A ground launched ATGM that uses either MMW radar guidance or for non contrasting targets laser beam riding all weather day/night out to a range of 6km.

Regarding power I would think the AS-14 would be the largest weapon considered for the purpose... 317kg Shaped Charge warhead, or the comparable AS-4 naval weapon with a 1,000kg shaped charge warhead for cutting large holes in ships...

[oldsoak]

If it stops that tank coming towards my location, then its the best going ! - I'll even knock up a brew for the the bloke who shot it.
Are any of the current generation of AT missiles capable of being fired remotely ? By that I mean the operator not being anywhere near the firing post ? Javelin and Gill are very good , but I'm not sure I like the idea of all that debris cloud attracting the attention of the keen-eyed and well armed.

[Merik]

TOW

[UoUo]

TOW

The tow is very old.

[Dmitri]

The tow is very old.
But it works damn good...[/quote]

[Chris1]

RAFAEL Gil Anti Tank Guided Missile
Also dropped from the UK ATGM trials because... well... guess (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/flags/is-lgflag.gif)

[UoUo]

RAFAEL Gil Anti Tank Guided Missile
Also dropped from the UK ATGM trials because... well... guess (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/flags/is-lgflag.gif)

The "gill" use by many countries...

[budanski]

Many countries with a massive knowledge on tank warfare?

[MolliG]

Saab Bofors Dynamics BILL 2 (http://www.army-technology.com/projects/bofors/images/bofors1.jpg)
More info here (http://www.army-technology.com/projects/bofors/).
:D

[UoUo]

http://www.army-technology.com/projects/gill/index.html

GILL/SPIKE ANTI-ARMOUR MISSILE SYSTEMS, ISRAEL
Rafael based in Haifa, Israel, manufacture the Spike family of anti-armour weapons. The weapons are lightweight fire-and-forget anti-tank missiles and use electro-optical and fibre-optic technologies. The systems are used by infantry soldiers, special rapid reaction forces, ground forces and helicopter aircrew.

The Spike family includes the Gill and the Spike missiles and is currently in production and in service with the Israeli Defence Force and with the Singapore Armed Forces. In November 1998, Rafael signed a co-operation agreement with EuroSpike (STN ATLAS, Diehl and Rheinmetall) to market, produce, sell and maintain Rafael's anti-armour systems, including the Gill and the Spike in certain European markets. Rafael have also signed an agreement with MBDA (formerly Matra BAe Dynamics) to address the British and some other European and overseas markets.

In May 2000, the Finnish Army selected a version of the Spike system, Spike 2.5, to meet its requirement for a medium-range anti-tank missile system. STN Atlas will produce the launchers, Diehl the munition and Rheinmetall the warhead.

In August 2001, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence ordered the Gill missile system to replace the Dragon missile of the RNl Army and Marine Corps. Rafael is the prime contractor, with STN Atlas, Diehl and Thales Nederland (formerly Signaal) the major subcontractors.

In July 2002, Poland selected the missile system with deliveries planned to begin in 2003. Local production by ZM Mesko is expected to form part of the contract terms.

SYSTEM

The Gill and the Spike have the same firing post. The firing post consists of the Command Launch Unit (CLU), the thermal imager and a tripod. The Gill, the shorter range version, is a portable fire-and-forget anti-armour missile system with a range up to 2.5km. The Gill uses a charge coupled device (CCD) seeker for day time use or an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker for day and nightime use. Gill can fly with a lofted trajectory enabling the tandem warhead to hit the target at the most vulnerable point. Spike is a portable anti-armour weapon system with a range up to 4km, which can be operated in fire-and-forget mode and in fire, observe and update mode for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) operations using the fibre-optic data link. A further variant is an extended range (8km) version, Spike ER, which also has a larger warhead. One soldier can carry two missiles in the back pack and the total system weight is 26kg. Spike ER has been successfully tested mounted on a HMMWV vehicle.

OPERATION

The system is made ready to fire in less than 30s. The soldier acquires the target and lays the cross hairs of the sight on the aim point on the target using either the day sight with a 10 times magnification and 5° field of view or the clip-on thermal imaging night sight with wide and narrow fields of view.

The soldier activates the missile, locking the tracker on the target and he pushes the Fire button to launch the missile. The missile automatically propels itself towards the target without any additional interaction and this fire and forget capability allows the soldier the option of relocating to a new firing position or to reload immediately for the next engagement. Reloading takes less than 15s.

After launch the missile follows a lofted trajectory and as it approaches the target it dives down to impact the target. The lofted trajectory and the tandem high explosive warhead enables the missile to penetrate tanks equipped with explosive reactive armour (ERA).

MISSILE

The missile has four rectangular fins for aerodynamic control at the rear, and four wings at just over halfway from nose to tail on the length of the body. They unfold as the missile leaves the launch cannister.

The guidance system in the nose of the Gill-Spike missile comprises a charge coupled device (CCD) and Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) seeker. The imaging infrared provides higher sensitivity and improved thermal background rejection characteristics for all-weather day and night operation. Gill has a range up to 2,500m.

SPIKE MISSILE
As well as the fire-and-forget seeker guidance, the Spike missile is equipped with a fibre-optic data link guidance system, which sends commands to the missile from the launch system and receives, into the gunner's field of view, images from the seeker. The gunner can update his aim point while the missile is in flight using the fibre optic link. The gunner maintains tracking. The Spike system can work in non line-of-sight (NLOS) mode allowing the gunner to operate from a covered position. Spike, which can be installed on a range of platforms can be used to engage tanks, armoured vehicles, hardened shelters and low flying slow targets, such as helicopters.

TRAINING

The Gill-Spike training programme includes target identification and acquisition, missile lock-on and post launch observation. The Gill-Spike system has two simulators for individual training. The Outdoor Simulator trains soldiers, using real targets, up to the point of missile launch. The Indoor Trainer also trains soldiers up to the point of missile launch and during missile flight using the fibre-optic data link.

[Sirpad]

If i may say something:
The Spike missile is in fact much better than the Javelin - and the american military commanders know that fact very well. The reason for using the Javelin is obviously political and $$$, and same reason stands behind Javelin's win over the Spike in the british bid.

As of now, the following countires use the missile: Poland, Finland, Romania, Netherlands (on trial), and several east-asian countries.
The Spike is manufactured in europe by Eurospike inc. to prevent the usual problem of purchasing israely-made products.

one last thing: I think the famous Javelin miss in the Umm quasr battle, shown all over the world, is apalling and make whoever shot it a damn fool. the static target building was a mile away!