MILAN (French: Missile d´infanterie léger antichar; English: Light anti-tank infantry missile, milan(e) is French for kite) 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 or MILIS thermal sight to give it night-firing ability.
Video MILAN
History
MILAN is a French / German missile created by Euromissile. Because it is guided by wire by an operator, this missile can avoid most countermeasures (flares, chaff and radio jammers). The drawbacks are its short range, the exposure of the operator, problems with overland powerlines and a vulnerability to infrared jammers such as Shtora that can prevent the automatic tracking of the missile's IR tail light.
Maps MILAN
Variants
- MILAN 1: Single, main shaped charge warhead (1972), calibre 103 mm
- MILAN 2: Single, main shaped charge warhead, with standoff probe to increase penetration (1984) - see photo to right, calibre 115 mm
- MILAN 2T: Single main shaped charge, with smaller shape charge warhead at end of standoff probe to defeat reactive armour (1993)
- MILAN 3: Tandem, shaped charge warheads (1996) and electronic beacon
- MILAN ER: Extended range (3,000 m) and improved penetration
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 armour, which could defeat earlier ATGMs. The smaller precursor HEAT warhead penetrates and detonates the ERA tiles, paving the way for the main HEAT warhead to penetrate the armour behind.
Combat Use
Chadian-Libyan conflict
MILAN saw common usage during war between Chad and Libya where they were used by Chadian forces, Often mounted on Pickup truck, Those missiles successfully engaged Libyan armor including T-55 tanks.
Gulf War
MILANs were used by both coalition and Iraqi forces during Persian Gulf war, in one case MILAN operated by French forces Destroyed 7 T-55 Tanks.
Iraq
Iraq operated MILAN missiles supplied by French government during 80s, Those missiles were used by Iraq forces during both Gulf Wars, during 2003 invasion of Iraq, in one case British Challenger 2 survived direct hit from MILAN ATGM. In 2015 Germany supplied Peshmerga with 30 MILAN launchers and over 500 missiles, Those missiles were mostly used against ISIS forces, But on 20 October during 2017 Iraqi-Kurdish conflict Kurdish forces destroyed Iraqi M1 Abrams tank and several Humvees with MILAN ATGM.
Operators
Current operators
- Afghanistan - Afghan National Army
- Armenia - Armed Forces of Armenia
- Brazil - Brazilian Army
- Belgium - Belgian Army: Infantry weapon; replaced by Spike-LR in 2014
- Chad - Chadian Ground Forces: Infantry weapon.
- Cyprus - Cypriot National Guard 45 launchers
- Estonia - Estonian Defence Forces
- Egypt - Egyptian Army: Mounted on light vehicles. 220 units are used.
- France - French Army: Infantry and vehicle-mounted weapon. Will be replaced by Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) from 2017.
- Germany - Bundeswehr: Mounted primarily on Marder and TPz Fuchs fighting vehicles; to be replaced by EUROSPIKE.
- Greece - Hellenic Army 400 Launchers
- India - Indian Army: Infantry and vehicle-mounted weapon. Around 30,000 built under license by Bharat Dynamics. The Indian Army has also spent close to US$120 million on 4,100 new MILAN-2T ATGMs.
- Iraq - Iraqi Army: 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.
- Kurdistan - Peshmerga: 30 launchers and 500 missiles, delivery in two portions was announced on August 31, 2014 by German Bundeswehr. These are 1980s Milan 2 replaced by later models but still in storage. Used by the Kurds to stop ISIL vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs). Usage of Milan 2 against Daesh (IS) VBIED in Iraq and Syria 2015/16 see here.
- Italy - Italian Army: Infantry weapon. Built under license by Oto Melara; Total of 714 launchers with 17,163 missile delivered in 1990. 807 MILAN 2T ordered in 2004 and delivered in 2005 (SIPRI).
- Kenya - Kenyan Army: Infantry weapon.
- Lebanon - Lebanese Army
- Libya - Libyan National Army
- Macedonia - Army of the Republic of Macedonia
- Mauritania - Mauritanian Army
- Mexico - Mexican Army (Ejército Mexicano): Mounted primarily on Panhard VBL scout cars; at least 16 launchers and several hundred missiles are available.
- Morocco - Royal Moroccan Army
- Pakistan - Pakistan Army
- Portugal - Portuguese Army; Portuguese Marines
- PKK : As per the Der Spiegel, PKK acquired the MILAN anti tank missiles
- South Africa - South African Army: 375 missiles.
- Spain - Spanish Army: Upgraded to MILAN 2/2T.
- Syria - Syrian Army: About 1000 missiles used in the anti-vehicular role.
- Free Syrian Army: Some captured.
- Tunisia - Tunisian Armed Forces: 120 missiles.
- Turkey - Turkish Army
- Uruguay - Uruguayan Army
- Yemen - Yemeni security forces
Former 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.
- Ireland - Irish Army: Infantry weapon; replaced by the FGM-148 Javelin.
- Singapore - Singapore Army: Replaced by the Israeli Spike.
- UNITA: 150 missiles.
- United Kingdom - British Army; Royal Marines - While primarily an infantry weapon, it was also used in the FV120 Spartan MCT turret. Over 50,000 missiles were purchased for use in the British Armed Forces. The MILAN was deployed against Argentine bunkers in the Falklands conflict and later against T-55s during the Persian Gulf War. It was replaced by the FGM-148 Javelin in mid-2005. Previously made under license by British Aerospace Dynamics.
Gallery
See also
- Missile Moyenne Portée
- ERYX
- HOT (missile)
- BGM-71 TOW
- HJ-8
References
- Notes
External links
- Technical data sheet on the website of MBDA
- GlobalSecurity.org
- Information about The British Army's Milan 2
- Video link
- British army training video of MILAN on YouTube
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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