Opponents of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries spent the entire Cold War in anticipation of an avalanche of tanks from the East. To repel a very real threat, more and more effective anti-tank artillery systems were created. But this was clearly not enough. To fend off the steady increase in the firepower, protection and maneuverability of Soviet tanks, mobile missile systems were to be used, which used anti-tank missile missiles (i.e. ATGM), guided in flight by wires. Light armored vehicles were often used as chassis, which gave launchers such an important quality as airmobility.
A typical representative of this category of combat vehicles is the English Hornet, a symbiosis of the Malkara ATGM launcher and a standard army armored vehicle. The Hornet was in service with the British paratroopers in the 1960s and 1970s.
The armored car is assembled on the chassis of the army monochromatic "Pig" company "Humber". The rear cockpit has been replaced with a small platform that houses a launcher for two Malkar rockets. The missiles were attached to the guide beams in an airplane-like manner - they were suspended from below. The launcher was deployed 40 degrees in each direction.
The crew had only four shells at their disposal: two in a firing position and a couple more in containers. In the event that "Hornet" was to descend to the ground with a parachute, the shells were not installed on the beams.
The delivery of anti-tank systems to the battlefield, as well as other airborne equipment, was carried out by the Argus, Belfast and Beverly planes - the "workhorses" of the British military transport aviation of that time. For parachuting, the armored car was installed on a standard platform.
The range of the Hornet / Malkar complex was short. So, the Mk.1 type projectile had a flight range of only 1800 m, and it flew to this maximum possible distance in 15 seconds. More advanced samples had a flight range of up to 3000 m. The minimum affected area ranged from 450 to 700 m. The ATGM flew a distance of 450 m in 3 s, 1000 m in 7.5 s, 2000 m in 14 s, 3000 m in 21 p. The projectile with four rotary rudders was controlled by transmitting commands over the wires. Automation compensated for guidance errors caused by the rotation of the projectile and the effect of a crosswind.
The crew of the car consisted of three people: the commander, the driver and the radio operator, and the duties of the operator of the anti-tank complex were assigned to the commander. In the same way, one of two crew members could perform its functions. The workplace of the commander-operator was to the left of the driver. To control and monitor the flight of the projectile, it was equipped with a periscope that rotates 160 °.
Hornet / Malkara anti-tank missile systems were intended to equip paratrooper divisions formed as part of the Royal Tank Corps in 1961-1963. Later, in 1965, these mechanized airborne units became part of the 16th Parachute Brigade.
In 1976, due to the general reduction of the British paratroopers, the brigade was disbanded. At the same time, the Hornet combat vehicles and the entire range of ATGMs used were removed from service. They were replaced by the newest Swingfire anti-tank missile system, which uses the Ferret Mk.5 vehicle as its chassis.
Yes, the Hornet / Malkara system was short-lived. Although the power of the missile's warhead was great, its weight was also great, and the flight speed and range left much to be desired. The launcher could not withstand even eight rocket launches - repair or replacement of guide beams was required, which went beyond all regulatory standards.
A very modest ammunition load and the complexity of reloading limited the combat capabilities of the complex. And as already mentioned, the Hornet with a loaded launcher could not be dropped with a parachute, so its combat readiness at the time of landing was zero. But despite its many shortcomings, the Hornet / Malkara system was a notable milestone in the development of anti-tank missile weapons on the battlefield.
General view of the launcher ATGM "Malkara" on the chassis of the armored car "Hornet"
Launcher ATGM "Malkara" on the chassis of the armored car "Hornet". Parachute Division as part of the Royal Armored Corps. Great Britain, 1963
Experimental Hornet / Malkar vehicles had a monochromatic olive color, missile warheads were yellow. On the hulls of the rockets, between the wings, there were white service markings.
The standard desert camouflage of production vehicles consisted of rather wide vertical wavy stripes of approximately the same width of sand and green colors. The rooms are traditional British, such as 06ВК66 or 09ВК63. The horizontal ones were located in the front right above the headlight, the vertical ones were located at the rear on the anti-mud shield. On board boxes, judging by the photo, a tactical number could be applied, for example: "24" in a yellow square.
