Anti-tank guided missile

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Image:9K115 Metys.jpg An Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) or Anti-Tank Guided Weapon (ATGW) is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles.

ATGMs range in size from shoulder-launched weapons 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 warheads 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 rifles, anti-tank rockets and magnetic anti-tank mines had limited armor-penetration abilities and/or required a soldier to closely approach the target.

First-generation Command guided MCLOS missiles are guided manually, requiring input from an operator using a joystick or similar device. Second-generation command guided SACLOS missiles require the operator to keep the sights on the target until impact. An example of a second generation ATGM would be the American TOW missile. Guidance commands are sent to the missile through wires or radio. More advanced third-generation guidance systems rely on laser marking or a TV camera view from the nose of the missile. Some of the latest models, such as the American Javelin are "fire-and-forget".

Most ATGMs have shaped-charge HEAT warheads, designed specifically for penetrating armour. Double-warhead missiles attempt to defeat very heavy or spaced vehicle armour. Top-attack weapons are designed to focus the explosion down through an AFV's thinner top armour.

Countermeasures against ATGMs include spaced, perforated, and composite armour, explosive reactive armour (ERA), jammers like the Russian Shtora, and active protection systems (APS) like Drozd and Arena.

Anti-tank weapons like Bazookas and RPGs are not considered ATGMs since they don't have any guidance system.

See also

• List of anti-tank guided missiles
• List of missiles

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