Thanks to the successes achieved in the field of miniaturization of semiconductor elements and the improvement of semi-automatic guidance systems, about a decade and a half after the end of World War II, it was possible to create sufficiently compact anti-tank guided missile systems suitable for carrying by the forces of calculation.
The first guided anti-tank missile system used by the American army was the Nord SS.10, developed in France. This ATGM has been produced under license by General Electric since 1960. The wire-guided ATGM was guided manually using the three-point method (sight - missile - target). Control commands were transmitted from the joystick on the control surface mounted on the trailing edges of the ATGM wings. Tracking the rocket in flight was carried out along the tracer. The missiles were delivered to position in a light tin box, which also served as a launcher. The mass of the rocket together with the box was 19 kg, which made it possible to carry the ATGM by the crew. Missile length - 850 mm, wingspan - 750 mm. A cumulative 5 kg warhead could penetrate 400 homogeneous armor along the normal.
The first anti-tank missile put into service in the United States had not very impressive combat characteristics. The launch range was in the range of 500-1600 m. At a maximum flight speed of 80 m / s, manually controlled with the ATGM joystick, the enemy tank had a good chance of dodging the missile. Although the production of SS.10 missiles under the designation MGM-21 was established in the United States, their operation in the American armed forces was experimental.
In 1961, the US adopted the French Nord SS.11 ATGM system. For the beginning of the 60s, the SS.11 complex had good characteristics. The cumulative warhead of the rocket weighing 6, 8 kg penetrated 500 mm of armor. With a maximum flight speed of 190 m / s, the maximum firing range was 3000 m. On average, a well-trained guidance operator at the range with 10 missiles hit 7 targets.
However, the SS-11 anti-tank missile system did not take root in the American army as an infantry anti-tank weapon. First of all, this was due to the mass and dimensions of the guidance equipment and missiles. So, a guided missile with a length of 1190 mm and a wingspan of 500 mm weighed 30 kg. In this regard, the missiles, which received the designation AGM-22 in the United States and were produced under license, were limitedly installed on all-terrain vehicles, armored personnel carriers and helicopters. In addition, the effectiveness of the use of ATGM in a combat situation turned out to be much worse than the results shown at the test site. In 1966, in Vietnam, out of 115 missiles launched from UH-1B Iroquois helicopters, only 20 hit the target. Such depressing statistics of combat use are explained by the fact that the guidance accuracy of the first generation ATGM directly depends on the training and psycho-emotional state of the operator. In this regard, the American military came to the conclusion that despite the simplicity of the implementation of a manual missile control system, its effectiveness in a combat situation is not obvious and a portable complex with a semi-automatic guidance system is required.
In 1962, 58 ENTAC anti-tank systems were purchased in France, which received the designation MGM-32A in the American army. Structurally, this complex had a lot in common with the SS.10 ATGM, but had better characteristics. An ATGM weighing 12, 2 kg and a length of 820 mm had a wingspan of 375 mm and carried a 4 kg warhead capable of penetrating 450 mm of armor. A rocket with a maximum flight speed of 100 m / s was capable of hitting targets at a range of 400-2000 m.
ATGM was delivered to position in a metal box. This same box served as a disposable launcher. To prepare for launch, the front cover of a kind of transport and launch container was folded back and, with the help of two wire supports, the launcher was installed at an angle of about 20 ° to the horizon. The rocket itself was half protruding from the box. Up to 10 missiles could be connected to the guidance station at the position. There was also a variant of a triple launcher on a trolley that could be transported by the crew.
In 1963, most of the MGM-32A ATGM was sent to the disposal of the American military contingent stationed in South Korea. In the initial period of the Vietnam War, MGM-32A guided missiles were in service with the 14th Infantry Regiment. All available stocks of French-made ATGMs were used up by the end of 1969. During the launches, not a single enemy tank was hit, missiles were used to fire at enemy positions.
In 1970, the BGM-71 TOW ATGM entered service (English Tube, Opticall, Wire - which can be translated as a missile launched from a tubular container with optical guidance, guided by wires). After the completion of military tests, in 1972, began mass deliveries of anti-tank systems to the troops.
The ATGM, created by Hughes Aircraft, implements command semi-automatic guidance. But unlike the SS.11, after the TOW ATGM was launched, the operator had enough to keep the central mark on the target until the missile hit. Control commands were transmitted over thin wires.
An ATGM launch tube 2210 mm long and guidance equipment are mounted on a tripod machine. The mass of the ATGM in a combat position is about 100 kg. Apparently, the technical appearance of the 152-mm M151 launcher and the method of loading the guided missile cartridge was greatly influenced by the recoilless guns already in service.
Compared to the Soviet second-generation ATGMs, which also had a semi-automatic guidance system with the transmission of commands by wire, the American TOW complex, intended for use as an anti-tank weapon for a battalion level, was unnecessarily cumbersome and heavy.
Although subsequently the length of the M220 launcher of the modernized TOW ATGM variants was somewhat reduced, the dimensions and weight of the American complex are significantly larger than that of most ATGMs created around the same years in other countries. In this regard, the TOW ATGM, formally considered portable, is actually transportable, and is mainly located on various self-propelled chassis.
The basic modification of the BGM-71A guided missile weighed 18, 9 kg and had a length of 1170 mm. Flight speed - 280 m / s. The launch range is 65-3000 m. A cumulative warhead weighing 3, 9 kg could penetrate a 430 mm armor plate. This was quite enough to defeat Soviet tanks of the first post-war generation with homogeneous armor.
Immediately after the rocket leaves the barrel, four spring-loaded wings unfold in its middle and tail sections. The cumulative warhead is located in the front of the missile, and the control unit and engine are located in the rear and middle.
During the aiming process, the operator must always keep the telescopic sight mark on the target. At the rear of the rocket is a xenon lamp, which serves as a source of long-wave infrared radiation, according to which the guidance system determines the location of the rocket and generates commands that bring the ATGM to the line of sight. Signals from the processor are transmitted to the missile control system via two wires unwound from spools at the rear of the missile. In the event of a wire break, the rocket continues its flight along a straight trajectory.
Improvement of anti-tank missiles of the BGM-71 family was carried out in the direction of increasing the launch range and the value of armor penetration and the introduction of a new, more compact and reliable electronic element base. On the BGM-71C (Improved TOW) modification, which was put into service in 1981, through the use of a more effective warhead, the armor penetration was increased to 600 mm. The weight of the rocket itself increased by 200 g. Thanks to the use of more efficient jet fuel and an increased length of the control wire, the maximum launch range was 3750 m. A distinctive feature of the BGM-71C ATGM was an additional rod installed in the nose cone.
In the mid-70s, Soviet tank divisions stationed in the Western Group of Forces and in the European part of the USSR began to re-equip with tanks with multi-layer combined armor. In response to this, in 1983, the BGM-71D TOW-2 ATGM entered service with improved engines, a guidance system and a more powerful warhead. The mass of the rocket increased to 21.5 kg, and the thickness of the penetrated homogeneous armor reached 850 mm. Missiles of late modifications are visually distinguished by the presence of rods in the bow, designed to form a cumulative jet at an optimal distance from the armor.
On the BGM-71E (TOW-2A) rocket, adopted in 1987 in the bow, there is a miniature tandem warhead with a diameter of 38 mm and a mass of about 300 g, designed to overcome dynamic protection. A contact mechanical fuse, located on the head of the tip, initiates the first auxiliary warhead, the detonation of the main charge occurs after the detonation and destruction of the reactive armor by the auxiliary charge. The detonation of the main cumulative warhead weighing 5, 896 kg occurs at a distance of about 450 mm from the obstacle.
On the basis of BGM-71D in 1992, the BGM-71F (TOW-2B) rocket was created, designed to destroy armored vehicles in its most vulnerable upper part. ATGM BGM-71F is equipped with a new modified warhead with a double charge of a directional explosion, oriented at an angle of 90 ° to the longitudinal axis of the missile and a dual-mode remote fuse.
The fuse includes a laser altimeter and a magnetic anomaly sensor. The warhead is detonated when the missile flies over the target, which is struck from above by a tantalum shock core. The detonation of warheads with a diameter of 149 mm occurs simultaneously, the action of one is directed downward, and the other with a slight shift back to ensure a greater probability of hitting the target. The material for the formation of the shock core was chosen in order to create the maximum incendiary effect after breaking through the upper armor of the tank.
To destroy long-term fortifications on the basis of BGM-71D, a BGM-71N missile with a thermobaric warhead was created, with a TNT equivalent power of about 11 kg. According to American data, all missiles created on the basis of BGM-71D can be used from one launcher without any restrictions. Starting with the BGM-71D ATGM modification, for the possibility of simultaneous firing from closely spaced launchers and increasing noise immunity, an additional tracer was introduced, generating heat as a result of the reaction of boron and titanium, and the radiation frequency of the xenon lamp became variable and randomly changed during the flight of the rocket. The long-wave infrared radiation of the thermal tracer is monitored by the standard AN / TAS-4A thermal imaging sight, which was introduced into the sighting equipment of the TOW-2 ATGM.
In September 2006, the US Armed Forces ordered new TOW 2B RF wireless ATGMs with a launch range of 4500 m. The use of the radio command guidance system removes the restrictions on the range and speed of the missile flight imposed by the mechanism for unwinding the control wire from the coils, and makes it possible to increase the flight speed on the site acceleration and reduce the time spent on the trajectory of the ATGM.
ATGM TOW has become widespread. The complex is in service in about 50 countries around the world. In total, more than 700,000 BGM-71 missiles of various modifications have been fired since 1970.
The baptism of fire of the TOW anti-tank complex took place during the Vietnam War. At the end of March 1972, North Vietnamese troops, quickly breaking through the demilitarized zone, launched a full-scale offensive to the south. The offensive involved several hundred Soviet-made T-34-84, T-54 and PT-76 tanks, as well as captured American M41 and M113 armored personnel carriers. In this regard, exactly one month later - on April 30, 1972, the army command decided to send ground installations of the TOW ATGM and instructors to Southeast Asia to prepare American and South Vietnamese calculations.
Already on May 5, 87 launchers and 2500 ATGMs were delivered to Vietnam by military transport aviation. Since by that time the Americans, due to large losses and the lack of prospects for winning the conflict, began to gradually abandon ground operations, placing this burden on the army of South Vietnam, the main part of the anti-tank systems was transferred to the South Vietnamese allies.
New anti-tank missiles from ground-based launchers were first used in hostilities in May 1972. By the end of June 1972, with the help of TOW ground anti-tank systems, it was possible to hit 12 tanks, in addition to the Soviet T-34-84 and T-54 vehicles, among the destroyed armored vehicles were captured M41. But the local successes of the armed forces of South Vietnam in defense could not affect the overall course of hostilities. By mid-August, more than 70 anti-tank systems were lost in the battles. On August 19, 1972, soldiers of the 711th division of the DRV, during the assault on the Camp Ross base in the Kui Son Valley, defended by the 5th Infantry Regiment of the South Vietnamese Army, seized several serviceable anti-tank systems and a stock of missiles for them. Ground launchers with sighting equipment and guidance equipment, as well as guided anti-tank missiles, which became trophies of the North Vietnamese army, soon ended up in the USSR and the PRC.
Soviet specialists were primarily interested in the characteristics of the armor penetration of the BGM-71A ATGM and the design features of the guidance system, as well as possible ways of organizing optoelectronic interference. In China, after a thorough study and copying of elements of captured ATGMs, in the mid-80s, they adopted their own analogue, which received the designation HJ-8. Subsequently, a number of modifications appeared that differed from the original model in launch range and increased armor penetration. Serial production of the Chinese ATGM continues to this day, it has been adopted by Pakistan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and a number of African states.
A relatively small number of TOW ATGMs in 1973 were used by the Israel Defense Forces against Arab tanks in the Yom Kippur War. On the eve of the war, 81 launchers and a little more than 2,000 missiles were delivered to Israel. Although the BGM-71A ATGM was used in hostilities rather limited, due to the small number of prepared calculations, the Israeli military appreciated the high probability of hitting the target and the convenience of missile guidance. The next time the Israelis used TOW was in 1982 during the Lebanese campaign. According to Israeli data, several Syrian T-72s were destroyed by anti-tank missiles.
On a significant scale, TOWs were used against Soviet-made tanks during the Iran-Iraq war. The anti-tank missiles received by Iran during the years of the Shah's rule easily penetrated the armor of T-55 and T-62 tanks from any direction. But the frontal armor of the hull and turret of the modern T-72 at that time could not always be overcome. The stocks of BGM-71A missiles available in the Islamic Republic were quickly used up during the hostilities, and therefore attempts were made to acquire them in a roundabout way. Despite the rupture of relations between Iran and the United States, in 1986, illegal ATGM shipments were carried out through Israel and South Korea. In the 90s, Iran launched the production of its own unlicensed version of the TOW ATGM, designated Toophan.
After the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces in August 1990, the trophies of Saddam's army were fifty launchers and more than 3,000 missiles. What happened to the Kuwaiti TOWs in the future is not known, there is no information that the captured ATGMs were used against the troops of the anti-Iraqi coalition. In turn, the Americans actively used the TOW-2 and TOW-2A complexes with the BGM-71D and BGM-71E ATGMs in combat. According to American data, one of the units of the Marine Corps destroyed 93 armored targets, using up 120 ATGMs. In total, more than 3,000 BGM-71 missiles were launched during Operation Desert Storm. As before, the ATGM successfully hit the old T-55 and T-62, but the effect of even modern missile modifications on the T-72 frontal armor was not always satisfactory. In addition, the operation of piezoelectric fuses on rockets stored in warehouses for about 20 years has proven unreliable in many cases. Often, old missiles were disposed of by shooting at abandoned Iraqi tanks.
In 1992-1993, the American contingent in Somalia spent about one and a half hundred TOW-2 and TOW-2A ATGMs. The targets of the missile strikes were militant vehicles, warehouses and firing points. ATGMs were mostly mounted on HMMWV vehicles to increase mobility, but portable launchers were sometimes used to protect bases and roadblocks at road junctions.
During the Second Iraqi War of 2003-2010, TOW ATGMs were also used, although not as actively as in 1991. Since Iraqi armored vehicles almost did not participate in direct clashes, guided missiles were used in pinpoint strikes to destroy firing points and buildings occupied by the defending Republican Guards and Fedayeen. At the same time, BGM-71N missiles with a thermobaric warhead demonstrated high efficiency in street battles. ATGM TOW was used in a number of special operations. So, on July 22, 2003, 10 ATGMs were fired at one building in Mosul. According to undercover information, Udey Hussein and Kusey Hussein were in the building at that moment. After clearing away the debris, both of Saddam Hussein's sons were found dead. After the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, more than a hundred TOW ATGM launchers and several thousand missiles were handed over to the Iraqi armed forces by American troops. However, the weapons received from the United States, due to the low professional qualities of the soldiers of the new Iraqi army, were often not used effectively or were even thrown onto the battlefield, becoming trophies of radical Islamists.
In the first half of 2015, the TOW-2A ATGM with Hughes / DRS AN / TAS-4 night vision scopes appeared at the disposal of terrorist groups operating in the Syrian Arab Republic.
At the same time, in a number of cases, the militants used ATGMs quite competently, which indicates that they were well trained. Often, the multi-layer armor and dynamic protection of the T-72 and T-90 tanks did not save from being hit by an ATGM with a tandem warhead. There is information that as a result of the BGM-71D ATGM hit in December 2016, two Turkish Leopard 2 tanks were destroyed in northern Syria. However, despite some successes, American-made anti-tank systems could not ensure victory for the Syrian armed opposition. The peak of the use of the TOW ATGM in Syria fell on 2015-2016. Now the cases of the use of TOW anti-tank systems in the SAR are quite rare. This is due to both the use of guided anti-tank missiles and the large losses among the operators trained by American instructors.
The TOW ATGM had good armor penetration for its time and a sufficient launch range. At the same time, the significant dimensions and weight of the complex imposed restrictions on the use of it by small infantry units. In fact, in the early 70s, TOW was replaced in the regimental and battalion level with 106-mm M40 recoilless guns. However, in the heavy weapons sections of the infantry companies, the 90-mm M67 rocket-propelled grenade launchers remained the main anti-tank weapons. The command of the ground forces and the marines wanted a more accurate weapon with an effective firing range several times greater than the firing range of a 90-mm grenade launcher. The idea of developing a weapon of this kind and the requirements of the technical specifications for it were formulated by officers of the Redstone Arsenal back in 1961. It was assumed that a new relatively lightweight and compact ATGM would be carried over a short distance in a combat position by one soldier and could be used in the tactical squad-platoon link.
Although in the 60s more than a dozen companies were engaged in the creation of guided anti-tank missiles in the United States, the closest thing to the requirements for a light ATGM was the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation specialists. The Sidekick anti-tank complex, which lost the TOW ATGM competition from Hughes Aircraft, later evolved into a light MAW ATGM (Medium Antitank Weapon - medium anti-tank weapon). This complex was developed to fill a niche in anti-tank weapons between heavy anti-tank TOW systems and disposable hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers M72 LAW. Taking into account the high initial velocity of the rocket and the recoil force proportional to it, in order to avoid throwing up the launch tube and, as a result, errors in aiming at the target, the MAW ATGM prototype was equipped with two-legged bipods.
In June 1965, the first test launches began on the territory of the Redstone Arsenal. In order to reduce the cost and accelerate the start of tests in throwing launches, a 127-mm unguided aircraft missile "Zuni" was used. Subsequently, a five-inch guided missile entered the tests, the sustainer jet engine of which consisted of several sequential ignition briquettes arranged in a row with rows of slots (performing the function of nozzles) along the rocket body, around each briquette. The ATGM used a wire guidance system. After launching the rocket, the operator had to keep the crosshair on the target. At the same time, the station for the formation and transmission of commands, guided by the tracers installed in the tail of the ATGM, recorded the deflection of the rocket and calculated the mismatch parameter between the flight path of the rocket and the line of sight of the target, transmitted the necessary corrections through the wires to the autopilot of the rocket, which were converted into pulses of the vector control system traction.
ATGM with a mass of 12, 5 kg could be used and carried by one operator, did not require an equipped firing position for itself, could accompany infantry units in an offensive, was especially in demand for airborne and airmobile operations, as well as for use in mountainous and wooded areas.
In the course of field tests, the MAW ATGM demonstrated its operability and a satisfactory probability of hitting ground targets. The American generals especially liked the possibility of using the portable complex as an assault weapon for infantry fire support. It was envisaged that in the absence of enemy tanks on the battlefield, the ATGM crews operating in the combat formations of the attacking troops would destroy the firing points that impede the offensive.
However, after the completion of the test program, the military demanded to eliminate a number of significant comments. ATGM MAW with a maximum targeting range of 1370 m, the near border of the affected area was 460 m, which was unacceptable for a light anti-tank complex. It also required to improve the sight and missile guidance equipment. The condition for the adoption of the ATGM into service was the introduction of a night non-illuminated sight into the aiming equipment. In addition, the shooters who tested the MAW ATGM noted that the developers, in pursuit of reducing the mass of the complex, made it too delicate, using aviation technology. The weapon used by the infantry on the battlefield, transported in an armored personnel carrier and dropped from the air, had to have a large margin of safety, even at the expense of compactness and with an increased mass.
As a result, the MAW wearable anti-tank complex has undergone a significant redesign. Testing of the new variant, designated XM47, began in May 1971. Such a significant delay is due to the fact that, due to the Vietnam War, the customer, represented by the American military department, has largely lost interest in short-range guided anti-tank weapons. However, in the early 70s, after the appearance of information about the adoption in the USSR of the new T-64 tank, the portable ATGM again became one of the priority programs. Acceptance tests were completed by January 1972, in the spring of 1972, experimental military tests began in order to identify and eliminate the deficiencies found in conditions as close as possible to combat. The development of the complex was delayed, and it was accepted into service under the designation M47 Dragon in 1975.
Compared with the MAW ATGM, the M47 Dragon complex has become significantly heavier. Its mass in a combat position was 15.4 kg, with a night thermal imaging sight - 20.76 kg. The length of the launcher is 852 mm. The outer diameter of the launch tube is 292 mm. Caliber ATGM - 127 mm. The launch mass of the rocket is 10, 7 kg. Armor penetration - 400 mm of homogeneous armor, at a meeting angle of 90 °. The firing range is 65-950 m. The flight time of the ATGM at the maximum range is 11 s.
The hardware part of the complex includes a 6-fold optical sight, an IR direction finder of an ATGM tracer, an electronic equipment block and a missile launch mechanism. For use at night, the installation of a thermal imaging sight was provided. As of 1980, the cost of one complex with an AN / TAS-5 night vision device was estimated at $ 51,000.
Due to the design features of the complex, fire was fired from it mainly in a sitting position with support on a bipedal bipod. Although the complex did not weigh too much and could be carried by one member of the crew, due to the recoil and a strong change in the center of gravity, shooting from the shoulder was impossible.
For the effective use of the Dragon ATGM, the shooter had to be sufficiently trained and have psychological stability. After capturing the target in the sight and pressing the trigger, the shot did not occur immediately. After activating a disposable chemical electric battery, the shooter heard the growing howl of the spinning gyroscope, after which there was a sharp clap of the launch accelerator and the launch of the rocket. At this moment, poorly trained ATGM operators from unexpected recoil and centering changes often lost the target from the field of view, which led to a miss.
When creating the Dragon ATGM, an original scheme was implemented, in which there is no conventional main engine and rudders, which in turn made it possible to achieve high weight perfection. After the launch, the thrust was maintained and the course of the rocket rotating at a relatively low speed was adjusted due to the sequential combustion of solid fuel charges and the outflow of powder gases from oblique nozzles of micromotors located in several rows on the side surface of the rocket body. The executive control unit contains 60 micromotors, combined into 3 sections, 20 each. The micromotors were triggered every half a second, while the flight of the ATGM was accompanied by a characteristic pulsating sound. The tail section of the rocket contains onboard equipment, a wire command line coil, a modulated IR emitter and spring-loaded wings, which open when the rocket leaves the transport and launch container. Since the thrust in flight, the ATGM course and pitch adjustment is carried out alternately by solid-propellant micromotors, the rocket on the trajectory undergoes significant fluctuations, which in turn leads to a significant scatter of the point of impact. At the closest launch range, the probability of hitting a stationary target 3 m wide and 2 m high was estimated at 80%.
Soon after the start of operation in the troops, it turned out that, despite the revision of the ATGM, the Dragon is quite gentle and capricious. At temperatures below -25 ° C, the disposable starting electric battery refused to work. The electronic part of the guidance equipment was exposed to high humidity and required protection from rain. Quite often, when firing, a cable was broken, through which guidance commands were transmitted, micromotors did not always work out reliably, which led to a failure of guidance. The overall technical reliability of the Dragon ATGM was 0.85, which, combined with the peculiarities of its use, did not contribute to the popularity of the anti-tank complex among the American infantrymen. Moreover, the troops stationed in Alaska and the Marines, when there was a risk of getting their weapons wet, preferred to use the old proven M67 90mm rocket launchers. Nevertheless, among the second-generation complexes adopted for service, the Dragon was the lightest and could be carried by one soldier. The guidance equipment was installed on a transport and launch container made of fiberglass when brought into a combat position. The mass of the TPK with the rocket during transportation is 12, 9 kg.
McDonnell Douglas and Raytheon have supplied the US Army with 7,000 launchers and 33,000 missiles. Another 3,000 PU and 17,000 ATGMs were exported to 15 countries. Operation of the M47 Dragon in the US armed forces continued until 2001, after which the complexes were withdrawn to the reserve.
I must say that already in the late 70s, the American military began to harshly criticize the characteristics and combat capabilities of the Dragon ATGM. The generals demanded to improve reliability, accuracy and armor penetration. In 1986, the Dragon II ATGM was adopted. Thanks to the use of a new element base, additional sealing and strengthening of the case, it was possible to increase the reliability of the hardware. The aiming accuracy of the modernized ATGM has increased by about 2 times. At the same time, the cost of the missile was relatively low - $ 15,000. Thanks to the use of a new combat, more powerful and heavy cumulative warhead, the armor penetration was increased to 450 mm. The launch range remained the same. The complex was standardly equipped with a thermal imaging sight. Due to the increase in the mass of the ATGM, some strengthening of the guidance equipment and the introduction of a night channel, the weight of the Dragon II ATGM in the combat position was 24.6 kg.
In 1993, the development of the Dragon II + ATGM with a new missile was completed. The launch range of the new ATGM, thanks to the use of solid fuel of increased efficiency, was increased to 1500 m. The maximum flight speed of the Dragon II + ATGM is 265 m / s. To increase armor penetration and the ability to overcome dynamic protection, the new ATGM is equipped with a tandem cumulative warhead with a spring-loaded telescopic rod, which extends after the missile launch.
In December 1993, the rights to manufacture the Dragon ATGM were purchased by Conventional Munition Systems Inc, whose specialists created an advanced Super Dragon anti-tank complex. The ATGM was improved in terms of increasing the reliability, guidance accuracy, noise immunity and increasing the range to 2000 m. For this, on the basis of a modern element base, a new control equipment and a lightweight rocket were created with the transmission of control commands via a fiber optic cable. The Super Dragon ATGM is equipped with a tandem HEAT warhead, the same as on the Dragon II +. However, for the Super Dragon, a high-explosive HEAT warhead and an incendiary warhead were additionally developed. According to American data, the Dragon II + and Super Dragon ATGMs were not accepted into service in the United States. These developments were used to modernize the complexes supplied for export.
In addition to the United States, licensed production of Dragon ATGM was carried out in Switzerland. The upgraded version, produced in the Alpine Republic, is known as the Dragon Robot. The Swiss ATGM is distinguished by the fact that it has a launcher with two transport and launch containers ATGM Dragon II + and a remote control panel. The guidance operator can be located at a distance of up to 100 m from the launcher, which eliminates the impact of negative factors during launch and increases guidance accuracy, and also reduces losses among the crews if the enemy detects the ATGM position at the time of missile launch.
Apparently, the first combat use of the M47 Dragon ATGM took place during the Iran-Iraq war. During the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Iran was the buyer of the most modern American weapons, and the order for a light anti-tank complex was issued even before the Dragon ATGM was officially adopted in the United States. There are no details as to how effectively the M47 Dragon was used during the war, but in the 90s, the production of an unlicensed copy began in Iran, which received the Iranian designation Saeghe. For the Saeghe 2 variant with an improved guidance system, an ATGM with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead was also created. It is reported that the Iranian Saeghe 2 ATGMs have been used by the Iraqi army against the Islamists since 2014.
Following Iran, Israel became the buyer of the M47 Dragon ATGM. According to SIPRI, the first batch of ATGMs and launchers was ordered in December 1975, that is, at the same time that ATGMs were adopted by the United States. The Israel Defense Forces used Dragon ATGMs in anti-tank platoons of fire support companies of infantry battalions until 2005.
The baptism of fire of the M47 Dragon ATGM in the American armed forces took place in October 1983, during the invasion of Grenada. Since there were no other armored vehicles in Grenada besides five BTR-60s, the American marines destroyed the firing points with ATGM launches. ATGM M47 Dragon in 1991 were in the American units involved in the campaign against Iraq. However, the complex did not manifest itself in any way.
Currently, Dragon ATGMs are in service in Jordan, Morocco, Thailand, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Apparently, these second-generation light complexes with a semi-automatic guidance system are now used by the Saudis in hostilities in Yemen. Not so long ago, the Yemeni Houthis, opposing the Arab coalition formed by Saudi Arabia, demonstrated captured ATGMs. At the moment, in most countries where the M47 Dragon ATGMs were previously in service, they have been replaced by modern Spike and FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank systems.
