MILAN
MILAN 1 missile
Type	Anti-tank
Place of origin	France  Germany
Service history
In service	since 1972- present
Used by	41 countries
Production history
Designed	1970s
Manufacturer	MBDA, Bharat Dynamics (under license)
Produced	1972
Number built	350,000 missiles, 10,000 launchers
Variants	MILAN 1, MILAN 2, MILAN 2T, MILAN 3, MILAN ER
Specifications
Weight	7.1 kg
Length	1.2 m
Diameter	0.125 m
Warhead	tandem HEAT
Detonation mechanism	contact
Engine	solid-fuel rocket
Wingspan	0.26 m
Operational range	400 - 2000 m
Flight ceiling	-
Speed	200 m/s
Guidance system	SACLOS wire
Steering system	Thrust Vector
Launch platform	Individual, Vehicle

MILAN (French: Missile d´infanterie léger antichar; English: Anti-Tank Light Infantry Missile, "milan(e)" is French and German for "kite bird") 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 thermal sight, to give it night-firing ability.

Contents 1 History 2 Warhead variants 3 Operators 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] History

Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (November 2008)

MILAN is a French and German missile that has been license-built by the Italy, Spain, Britain and India. As it is guided by wire by an operator, this missile can avoid most countermeasures (flares and chaffs). The drawbacks are its short range, the exposure of the operator, and that it requires a skilled and well-trained operator.

[edit] Warhead variants

• MILAN: Single, Shaped Charge (1972)
• MILAN 2: Single, Shaped Charge (1984)
• MILAN 2T: Tandem, Shaped Charge (1993)
• MILAN 3: Tandem, Shaped Charge (1996)
• MILAN ER: Extended Range

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 armor, which could defeat earlier ATGMs. The precursor HEAT warhead penetrates and detonates the ERA tiles, paving the way for the main charge to penetrate the armor behind.

[edit] Operators

•  Algeria
  • People's National Army
•  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.
•  Brazil
  • Brazilian Army
•  Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • 840 Oruzane Snage BiH
•  Belgium
  • Belgian Army infantry
•  Chad
  • FANT (Chadian Army) infantry
•  Cyprus
  • Cypriot National Guard
•  Estonia
  • Estonian Defence Forces
•  Egypt
  • Mounted on light vehicles. 220 units are used.
•  France
  • French Army, Infantry and on vehicles
•  Germany
  • Bundeswehr:German Army, Luftwaffe, German Navy (will be replaced by EUROSPIKE)
  • Infantry, Marder vehicles since version A2 and TPz Fuchs vehicles.
•  Greece
  • Hellenic Army
•  Syria
  • Syrian army - About 1000 missiles used in the anti-vehicular division
•  India
  • Indian Army - Infantry and on vehicles. Around 30,000 built under license by Bharat Dynamics. Indian Army has recently placed an order of approx USD 120 million for 4,100 Milan-2T ATGMs.^[1]
•  Ireland
  • Irish Army - Was used by the infantry but has since been replaced by the FGM-148 Javelin.
•  Iran
  • Iranian Army
•  Iraq
  • 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.
•  Italy
  • Italian Army - Infantry. Built under license by Oto Melara and upgraded to MILAN 2T.
•  Kenya
  • Kenyan Army infantry
•  Lebanon
  • Lebanese Army
•  Libya
  • Libyan Army
•  Mexico
  • Mexican Army (Ejército Mexicano) This antitank missile is used over Panhard VBL Scout Cars, at least 16 launchers and several hundread missiles are available.
•  Morocco
  • Royal Moroccan Army
•  Pakistan
  • Pakistani Army
•  Portugal
  • Portuguese Army and Portuguese Marines
•  Republic of China
  • Republic of China Marine Corps
•  Russia
  • Russian Army
•  Singapore
  • Singapore Army - Being phased out in favor of the Israeli Spike
•  South Africa
  • South African Army
•  Spain
  • Spanish Army - Upgraded to Milan 2/2T. Being phased out in favor of the Israeli Spike
•  Turkey
  • Turkish Army
•  United Kingdom
  • Royal Marines and British Army
  • Infantry and on FV103 Spartan MCT (MILAN Compact Turret) version. Over 50,000 missiles purchased so far, for use in the British Armed Forces. The MILAN was used against Argentine bunkers in the Falklands War with great success.^[2] It was replaced by the FGM-148 Javelin in mid-2005.
•  Uruguay
  • Uruguayan Army

[edit] Gallery

MILAN, 2007

German Army MILAN equipped with an ADGUS combat simulator

[edit] See also

• ERYX
• Euromissile HOT
• BGM-71 TOW

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: MILAN

• Technical data sheet on the website of MBDA
• army-technology.com
• GlobalSecurity.org
• Information about The British Army's Milan 2

v • d • e Current French infantry weapons and cartridges Handguns PAMAS · MAC Mle 1950 Rifles Assault rifles FAMAS  · SIG SG 550 (and variants)  · HK 416 Precision rifle FR F2 · FR F1 Sniper PGM Hecate II Shotguns Benelli M4 Super 90 Submachine guns MP5  · P90 Machine guns M2HB  · AA52 · Minimi Grenade launchers M203 · LGI Mortars LLR 81mm  · MO-120-RT-61 Rockets LRAC F1  · AT4CS Missiles MILAN  · Javelin  · Mistral Cartridges 12-gauge · 5.7x28mm · 9x19mm NATO · 5.56x45mm NATO · 7.62x51mm NATO · 12.7x99mm NATO

v • d • e Current UK individual weapons and cartridges Pistols L9A1 • L106A1 • L117A2 Rifles, carbines, and LSWs SA80 series (L85 IW, L86 LSW, L22A1) • L108A1, L110A1 (Para) • L101A1 • L119A1 • L100A1 Sniper rifles L42/A1 • L96A1, L118A1 • L115A1, L115A3 • L82A1 • AW50F Submachine guns L80A1, L90A1 • L91A1, L92A1 Shotguns L74A1 (Remington 870 Wingmaster) • L128A1 Machine guns L3 • L7A2 • L2A1/L111A1 Heavy Machine Gun Grenade launchers L17A1/A2 • L67A1 Anti-tank weapons L1A1 (LAW) • LASM • LAW 80 • L14A1 Carl Gustav • L2A1 (ILAW) • L142A1 (AT4CS HP) Anti-tank guided missiles MILAN • Javelin Mortars L9A1 51 mm Mortar • L16/A1 81mm Mortar Modern cartridges used 5.56x45mm NATO • 7.62x51mm NATO • 12.7x99mm NATO • .338 Lapua • 9x19mm Parabellum • 12 gauge