Thread by @KesariDhwaj

[Indian Army - Anti-tank Guided Missiles (ATGM)]
Detailed analysis of how Indian Army goes about employing anti-tank guided missiles and the type of missiles.
vatsrohit.blogspot.com/2017/08/indian…

A synopsis of ATGM scenario in Indian Army. This is compilation of a thread I did in 2014. Some events have happened post that.

Thread with details of short and medium range ATGMs of the Indian Army and comparison with ATGM held by the Pakistan Army. This was in response to an article carried by @ndtv @VishnuNDTV where I had objected to some details mentioned therein.

For comparison, I had in 2018 done a detailed analysis of ATGM in Pakistan Army, its Heavy and Light Anti-Tank Battalions (HAT & LAT) and Pakistan Army's philosophy of using ATGMs to counter Indian superiority in tanks and armored fighting vehicles.
vatsrohit.blogspot.com/2018/02/pakist…

[From 2019]
India to buy 3K Milan-2T (with tandem warhead) directly from France. One precursor warhead to activate/defeat the Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) on modern tanks and then a bigger warhead to defeat the main armor. Interestingly, in 2008+
ndtv.com/india-news/arm…

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order had been placed on BDL for 4,100 Milan-2T, even when BDL made missiles (with French inputs) had failed to meet the range requirement even after multiple iterations. Repeat order not going to BDL raises some questions about the DPSU. Milan-2T is used mainly by infantry
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And in case you're wondering about 70K ATGM requirement, its not too high. For eg, IA has/will have 1,600+ T-90 tanks. It can fire an ATGM from its main gun. 5 ready-to-fire missile (RTF)/tank with 5 more for reloads itself gives 16K missiles. Not to mention training rounds
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Similarly, a 2,000+ BMP-2 fleet with each BMP-2 having 5 ready-to-fire missiles and 5 for reload. That's another 20,000+ missiles. For a total of 36K+ missiles. Infantry battalion in plains & mountains most likely have a holding of 48 & 12 RTF missiles, respectively. For 350
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infantry battalions, we're talking about 12,000 ready-to-fire missiles. Add equal number in reserve. So, between mechanized fleet and infantry, we've a ball park number of 60,000 ready-to-fire and reserve anti-tank missiles. Overall holding of 70,000 missiles is not far-fetched

[From 2019 - IA ATGM firing pics]
-IA team firing French Milan ATGM
-Going by the shape of exiting missile, this is Milan-2T [tandem warhead to penetrate Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA)]
-Considerable backblast; missile tube travels backward as the missile exits
Source: @adgpi

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-IA team firing Russian 9M113M 'Konkur-M' ATGM
-Long range (4km) ATGM of IA; Milan-2T is ~2km. Also has heavier warhead
-Unlike Milan-2T, missile tube does not move backward
-It also has tandem warhead to defeat modern ERA
-Both missiles fired from same launcher called as FLAME

[From 2019: ATGM for Mi-35]
- As per recent reports, Indian Air Force is buying anti-tank guided missiles for its fleet of Mi-35 helicopters from Russia.
- Report from Janes says these are AT-9 ‘Spiral-2’ or Ataka missiles.

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- Weight(kg): (a) Missile- 49.5 (b) Warhead: 7.5
- Warhead Type: Tandem HEAT
- Speed: Supersonic
- Guidance: Radio command guidance ( target parameters are radioed to the missile by gunner)
- Range: 6 Km
- Claimed penetration: 950 mm RHa BEHIND ERA
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- On Mi-35, whole system comprising of missile+guidance is called Shturm-VK
Missile versions:
1) 9M120: Standard missile with tandem warhead
2) 9M120F: Thermobaric warhead
3) 9M120F-1: Blast fragmentation
- There are improved 9M120-1, 9M120-1F & 9M120-1F-1 versions as well.
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-A Mi-35 can carry 8 such missiles.
- High supersonic speed ensures very less reaction time to target.
- Radio command guidance, instead of being wire-guided, gives more freedom of movement.
- Though, the missile is NOT fire & forget
No & type of ATAKA missiles to be brought
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is not know.
- As per Google, per unit cost of missile is USD 50K.
- More on missile guidance:
"By radio commands, the equipment includes a radio data-link receiver and a responder unit with a pulse flash lamp in the Control & Guidance section"
//END//

Look at the back blast from the ATGM!
Source: @pune_pro

This unusual arrangement actually gives an elevated position to the ATGM to both acquire the target and fire at it from maximum range possible. Otherwise it would be very difficult to get clear line-of-sight at max ranges (2 km+).
pic source: @KUNALBI25146617

- Desperately waiting to hear the news about 'X' numbers of NAG missiles + NAMICA being inducted.
- Us din bhai single malt se toast karega