What is an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM)?

An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles.

Could the United States face the same ATGMs in the Middle East?

“There is absolutely the possibility that the U.S. may face some of the same ATGMs it has delivered in the past to the Middle East,” said Omar Lamrani, a senior military analyst with the Austin, Texas-based defense-intelligence firm Stratfor.

How many countries use ATGMs?

As of 2016, ATGMs were used by over 130 countries and many non-state actors around the world. Germany developed a design for a wire-guided anti tank missile derived from the Ruhrstahl X-4 air to air missile concept in the closing years of World War II.

What are ATGMs and how do they work?

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.

How do modern ATGMs affect the modern battlefield?

The introduction to the modern battlefield of smaller, man-portable ATGMs with larger warheads has given infantry the ability to defeat light and medium tanks at great ranges, though main battle tanks (MBTs) using composite and reactive armors have proven to be resistant to smaller ATGMs.

How did the helicopter become an anti-tank weapon?

By the 1990s, the missile-armed attack helicopter evolved into a primary anti-tank weapon. Able to quickly move about the battlefield and launch fleeting “pop-up attacks”, helicopters presented a major threat even with the presence of organic air defenses.

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How do ATGMs penetrate tank armor?

Most modern ATGMs have shaped charge HEAT warheads, designed specifically for penetrating tank armor. Tandem-charge missiles attempt to defeat ERA: the small initial charge sets off the ERA while the follow-up main charge attempts to penetrate the main armor.

How do tanks protect themselves against new weapons?

For tanks, in the early stages of this arms race, developing thicker armor was the simple way to protect against new weapons. But that was no longer enough to defeat weapons like high-explosive antitank (HEAT) rounds, first deployed by infantry in World War II (to varying degrees of effect), or explosively formed penetrators (EFPs).

What was the first anti-tank missile?

The SS.10 is the first anti-tank missile widely used. It entered service in the French Army in 1955. It was also the first anti-tank missile used by the US Army and Israeli Defense Forces. The Malkara missile (from an Aboriginal word for “shield”) was one of the earliest anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).

What does ATGM stand for?

An anti-tank missile (ATM), anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon, is a primarily guided missile… Home Forums New postsSearch forums What’s new New postsNew mediaNew media commentsNew resourcesNew profile postsLatest activity Media New mediaNew commentsSearch media Resources