Anti-Armor Weapon Systems Overview

Anti-Armor Weapon Systems

• Javelin (M98A2): A man-portable, medium-range anti-tank weapon. Consists of a reusable Command Launch Unit (CLU) and a missile round. The CLU has day and night sights, gunner controls, display indicators, and built-in self-tests.
• Javelin Round: Includes a Launch Tube Assembly (LTA), and a Battery Cooling Unit (BCU), and a missile designed to defeat current and projected armored vehicles. Maximum range is 2,500 meters.
• Saber (M41A7): An easily maneuvered, heavy anti-tank precision fire system. Components include a launch tube, Target Acquisition Subsystem (TAS), Traversing Unit (TU), tripod, Fire Control Subsystem (FCS), Lithium Power Source (LPS), and a Position Attitude Determination Subsystem (PADS).
• PADS (Position Attitude Determination Subsystem): Requires at least 4 satellites for its own position and 5 for enemy target positions. Provides grid coordinates for both the weapon system and the target with a CEP (circular error probable) of 60 meters at 6000 meters.
• Seeker Trigger: Activates the missile's seeker mode after the track gate has adjusted.
• Round Interface Connector: Provides electrical and digital communication conduits between the system and the seeker missile for image/information transmission.
• NVS NOT COOL: A CLU display indicator that lights up when the Night Vision Sight (NVS) is not at its operating temperature.
• Attack Mode: Shows the missile's path to the target on the CLU display. Default is Top Attack; Direct Attack is a manual selection available in certain situations.
• FTL (Forward Targeting Laser): Provided by PADS and TAS, offering grid coordinates with high precision for both systems and targets (60 meter CEP at 6000 meters).
• Aided Target Tracking: Improves missile tracking, resulting in a higher percentage of hits and kills.
• TU Elevation Brake: Improves launch stability for the Saber system.
• Hot Position: Provides a good field of fire and accommodates backblast. One per weapon system.
• Cold Position: Provides maximum cover and defendability.
• Fire Patterns (Offensive Operations): Standard techniques for coordinating anti-armor engagements on multiple enemy targets.
• Active Protection: Systems (e.g., jammers, radars, fragmentation) that emit energy to protect vehicles.
• Passive Protection: Armor that does not actively react when hit (e.g., cages, nets, spaced armor plates).
• Reactive Protection: Includes explosive and non-explosive protection measures to enhance vehicle survivability.
• Target Precedence: Determines the priority order of enemy targets for engagement based on threat level.
• Primary Position: The main firing position with a defined mission.
• Ambush Concept: Guides the positioning of anti-armor weapons for tactical advantage.
• Categories of Anti-Armor Weapons: Light, medium, and heavy.
• HAW MAW LAW (Heavy, Medium, Light Anti-Armor Weapons): Tactical concept involving sequential use of different types of anti-armor weapons, potentially with increasing range or other considerations (e.g. different weapon types) to engage the target.
• Mass Surprise Fires: Simultaneous engagement of enemy forces via all available anti-armor weapons.
• MAAWS (various types): Detailed data on airburst (HE), impact (HEDP), armor-piercing (ADM), illumination (Illum), and HEAT rounds, specifying maximum ranges, launch angles, backblast considerations, and more. Specific ranges are detailed.
• Javelin Details: Max 2500m range. Min range for top attack 150m and direct attack 65m, detailed controls (Left Handgrip) and sight (CLU sight) information.
• Saber Firing Considerations: Important factors like launch tube clearance, friendly location, backblast, standoff distance, minimum engagement range, systems checks, and water/wet conditions.
• Saber Penetration: Penetration capacity of 36 inches of homogenized steel.
• TOW (various variants): Extensive details on different TOW variants (Tow 2B Aero, etc., with respect to ranges, warheads, and specific features).
• Anti-Armor Positioning Keys: Cover, concealment, dispersion, mutual support, standoff distance, and flanking approaches are critical for successful anti-armor operations.
• ATGM Advantages: High first-round hit probability, adaptability across various platforms, and effectiveness against armored vehicles from multiple angles (flank, top).
• ATGM Disadvantages: Vulnerability to enemy fire, relative slow firing rate, and terrain limitations.
• LAV-25 Considerations: TOW capability, 25mm cannon (for light armor penetration), and transportability.
• LAAW Considerations: Penetration capability against older tank models, portability, exposure time limitations, and specific armor penetration details (MK-153).
• MG Considerations: Penetration capabilities and impact on enemy visibility.
• RW Considerations: TOW & Hellfire capability, MBT penetration, mobility considerations, angle of attack, time on target considerations.
• FW Considerations: High vulnerability to Air Defence and SEAD and best effective position in the rear targeting approaching enemy columns.
• Arty Considerations: Specific weapon calibre (155mm), ammunition types, and counter-battery considerations.
• Mission Types: Both primary (destruction of armored vehicles) and secondary (suppression of bunkers/crew-served weapons) missions of anti-armor operations are defined.
• Firing Methods: Frontal fire, cross fire, and depth fire targeting considerations and advantages/disadvantages to target specific enemy positions.
• Kill Window Fire: Engaging targets moving between sections of cover are identified as high priority and possible targets.
• Firing Sequence Considerations: "On Order" and "Event-Oriented" methods of initiating fire.
• Enemy Threat Levels: Categorization of enemy threats based on their ability to engage friendly units.
• Alternative/Supplementary Positions: Different position types in terms of mission types and locations.
• Weapon System Advantages/Disadvantages: Advantages and disadvantages for various anti-armor weapon systems are addressed (e.g., Javelin, Saber, TOW).
• Display Indicators (CLU): Detailed information on indicator lights on the Command Launch Unit (CLU) display indicating missile status (e.g., NOT READY, SEEK, MSL CONN).