Anti-tank guided missile developments.

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Western Europe and Israel - Part 2

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Anti-tank guided missile developments.

Anti-Tank Guided Missile Developments

Faced with the possibility of having to defend their home territories against armoured attack, the West Europeans and Israelis have always placed a heavy emphasis on the development and deployment of anti-tank missile systems.

Among their current products and developmental systems are several market leaders including:

* the world's first short-range mini-missile (Aerospatiale's Eryx);

* the West's first operationally-proven, 2000-metre range platoon weapon (the Euromissile Milan);

* the world's first overflight top-attack missile to enter service (the Bofors BILL);

* the first overflight top-attack version of the TOW (the Thorn EMI/Royal Ordnance FITOW);

* the world's first laser beam-riding anti-tank missile to enter service (Israel Military Industries' MA-PATS);

* the world's first fire-and-forget, 5000-metre range top-attack missile to enter development (Euromissile Dynamics Group's long-range version of Trigat);

* the world's first 81 mm and 120 mm "smart" anti-tank mortar rounds (the BAe Dynamics Merlin and FFV Strix) and

* the world's longest range anti-tank missile (Israel Aircraft Industries' Nimrod).

* In addition, the world's first dual-purpose air defense/anti-tank missile system, the ADATS, was initially developed entirely with private venture funding by the Oerlikon-Buhrle group of Switzerland.

Aerospatiale Eryx

Designed to replace existing shoulder-fired infantry anti-tank rocket systems for a sim...

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