MILAN
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MILAN | |
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MILAN 1 missile |
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Type | Anti-tank |
Place of origin | France Germany |
Service history | |
In service | since 1972- present |
Used by | 41 countries |
Production history | |
Designed | 1970s |
Manufacturer | MBDA, Bharat Dynamics (under license) |
Produced | 1972 |
Number built | 350,000 missiles, 10,000 launchers |
Variants | MILAN 1, MILAN 2, MILAN 2T, MILAN 3, MILAN ER |
Specifications | |
Weight | 7.1 kg |
Length | 1.2 m |
Diameter | 0.125 m |
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Warhead | tandem HEAT |
Detonation mechanism |
contact |
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Engine | solid-fuel rocket |
Wingspan | 0.26 m |
Operational range |
400 - 2000 m |
Flight ceiling | - |
Speed | 200 m/s |
Guidance system |
SACLOS wire |
Steering system |
Thrust Vector |
Launch platform |
Individual, Vehicle |
MILAN (French: Missile d´infanterie léger antichar; English: Anti-Tank Light Infantry Missile, "milan" is French and German for "kite bird") is a European anti-tank guided missile. Design of the MILAN started in 1962. It was ready for trials in 1971, and was accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire guided SACLOS (Semi-Automatic Command to Line-Of-Sight) missile, which means the sight of the launch unit has to be aimed at the target to guide the missile. The MILAN can be equipped with a MIRA thermal sight, to give it night-firing ability.
Contents |
[edit] History
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (November 2008) |
MILAN is a French and German missile that has been license-built by the Italians, Spanish, British and Indians. As it is guided by wire by an operator, this missile can avoid most countermeasures (flares and chaffs). The drawbacks are its short range, the exposure of the operator, and that it requires a skilled and well-trained operator.
[edit] Warhead variants
- MILAN: Single, Shaped Charge (1972)
- MILAN 2: Single, Shaped Charge (1984)
- MILAN 2T: Tandem, Shaped Charge (1993)
- MILAN 3: Tandem, Shaped Charge (1996)
- MILAN ER: Extended Range
The later MILAN models have tandem HEAT warheads. This was done to keep pace with developments in Soviet Armour technology. Soviet tanks began to appear with explosive reactive armor, which could defeat earlier ATGMs. The precursor HEAT warhead penetrates and detonates the ERA tiles, paving the way for the main charge to penetrate the armor behind.
[edit] Operators
- Australia
- Australian Army - Was used by infantry and mounted on vehicles. The Australian Army withdrew the MILAN from service in the early 1990s. The ADF now fields the FGM-148 Javelin system.
- Brazil
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 840 Oruzane Snage BiH
- Belgium
- Belgian Army infantry
- Chad
- FANT (Chadian Army) infantry
- Cyprus
- Estonia
- Egypt
- Mounted on light vehicles. 220 units are used.
- France
- French Army, Infantry and on vehicles
- Germany
- Bundeswehr:German Army, Luftwaffe, German Navy (will be replaced by EUROSPIKE)
- Infantry, Marder vehicles since version A2 and TPz Fuchs vehicles.
- Greece
- Syria
- Syrian army - About 1000 missiles used in the anti-vehicular division
- India
- Indian Army - Infantry and on vehicles. Around 30,000 built under license by Bharat Dynamics. Indian Army has recently placed an order of approx USD 120 million for 4,100 Milan-2T ATGMs.[1]
- Ireland
- Irish Army - Was used by the infantry but has since been replaced by the FGM-148 Javelin.
- Iran
- Iraq
- One reportedly hit a British Challenger 2 MBT during the early stages of Operation Telic along with multiple rocket propelled grenades. The tank survived the attack.
- Italy
- Italian Army - Infantry. Built under license by Oto Melara and upgraded to MILAN 2T.
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mexico
- Mexican Army (Ejército Mexicano) being replaced by the Spike missle, this antitank missile is used over Panhard VBL Scout Cars
- Morocco
- Pakistan
- Portugal
- Republic of China
- Singapore
- Singapore Army - Being phased out in favor of the Israeli Spike
- South Africa
- Spain
- Spanish Army - Upgraded to Milan 2/2T. Being phased out in favor of the Israeli Spike
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- Royal Marines and British Army
- Infantry and on FV103 Spartan MCT (MILAN Compact Turret) version. Over 50,000 missiles purchased so far, for use in the British Armed Forces. The MILAN was used against Argentine bunkers in the Falklands War with great success.[2] It was replaced by the FGM-148 Javelin in mid-2005.
- Uruguay
[edit] Gallery
German Army MILAN equipped with an ADGUS combat simulator |
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: MILAN |
- Technical data sheet on the website of MBDA
- army-technology.com
- GlobalSecurity.org
- Information about The British Army's Milan 2
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