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MILNET: Battlefield Missiles

Missile Defense Agency's THAAD Fact Sheet


The military battlefield of missiles is mistakenly thought to be a modern day element of warfare, but research shows that, while most ineffective against their opponents, the Chinese used solid rockets against walls and opposing soldiers many thousands of years ago.

The modern day battlefield missile can be classified in two categories, the defensive and offensive missile.

Defensive Missiles

Defensive missiles can also be broken into two categories, anti-aircraft missiles, and anti- missile missiles.

Anti-aircraft Missile

The first, anti-aircraft missiles, were the most prevalent in all military inventories. Anti- aircraft missiles (usually classified as Surface to Air Missiles or SAMs) have usually been radar guided missiles, launched from the ground, and guided to an aircraft painted on the screen of a radar control center. The U.S. for instance, has a multi tiered battlefield missile strategy, which allows for multiple opportunities for engaging and destroying incoming aircraft or missiles.

Naturally aircraft designers added devices to physically or electronically jam the radars, thereby making the radar tracking and guidance of SAMs difficult. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. was able to effectively jam, via chaff (small pieces of radar reflective material released to confuse the incoming missile or its guidance center) or via electronic signal. Unfortunately, many pilots and crew were killed by the unsuccesful attempt to jam and flee incoming SAMs.

Another type of defensive missile aimed at aircraft is the heat seeking missile. Some of the SAMs launched during the Vietnam War at U.S. aircraft were radar guided to a region near the aircraft, then the missile homed in via an infrared seeker in the nose. Near the end of the war, the Russian supplied fully infrared missile was deployed, and the use of flares to confuse these missiles became standard equipment.

Today, aircraft employ both chaff and flares, as well as sophisticated electronic jamming equipment to help increase their odds of survival when attacking a heavily defended area.

Another missile that fits into the anti-aircraft, ground launched category, is the man- portable launchers. This is typically a shoulder launched weapon that is either wire guided, infrared guided, or laser guided to its target. Against aircraft the laser guided is not used, as it is far too difficult to keep a laser trained on a gyrating aircraft as it speeds across the soldier's field of vision. However, the wire and infraded guided weapons are exteremly effective. The operator simply lines the incoming aircraft up in its sights, waits for the rocket launcher to signal it has a lock on, and then fires. In the wire guided system, the rocket streams out a fine set of guidance wires, which allows the operator to contine to home the rocket in onto its target.

More effective than the wire guided, is the infrared guided shoulder missile. This weapon is extremly effective, and could easily be launched, and then forgotten, as the missile is quite independent after launch. This is extremely important if the operator is facing multiple targets...it is nice to be able to pop up, fire, and then run and hide while the missile is in transit to its target.

The man-portables were used quite effectively by Afgan rebels against the Soviets in their Afghanistan War in the 1980s, forcing the Soviets to be much more careful with deployment of their very expensive and heavily armed HIND-24 helicopter gunships.

Anti-Missile Missile

Typically intended to take out other battlefield missiles, the AMM is a rather new idea for battlefield defensive missiles. In fact, it was not (at least not by political decision makers) thought to be needed in any degree of certainty until the late 1980s. During the Gulf War (Desert Storm), Suddam Hussein launched modified SCUD missiles into Israel and Saudi Arabia. These short range ballistic missiles, while not very accurate, were never-the-less a weapon of terror. With sirens screaming, Israeli and Saudi Arabian citizens hurried to shelters and/or donned gas masks in the fear that Suddam Hussein would deploy chemical weapons.

In response to this threat, the U.S. had moved up a scheduled upgrade to the Patriot Missile battery, a defensive missile system normally used to incoming aircraft. The upgrade allowed the Patriot to engage the bulky SCUD, and after intially intercepting the missile, also intercepting the huge pieces of debris before they too could land and cause major damage. The Patriot system was extremely successful in terms of its morale factor, and in fact made every intercept requested of it. Unfortunately, however, the size and number of debris pieces still allowed chunks of the missile to fall to earth and causing damage and terror amongst the citizenry of the two countries attacked.

Offensive Battlefield Missiles

The objective of an offensive battelfield missile system is to deliver explosives into the enemies forces via the air. The obvious method is to use a guided weapon, with high accuracy, to make the trip worthwhile. But this has not always been necessary. During World War II and the Korean War, battlefield commanders used fairly stupid rocket rounds to attack their opponents "down field". Launched from towed vehicles, the typical battlefield missile of those times was nothing more than a ballistic rocket which arced up and down towards the enemy with no guidance. Thus the traditional placement of these kinds of rockets into the artillery commands of the armies.

The guided battlefield missile is much more accurate and provides the capability for the commander to choose targets of importance and opportunity, rather than just launch and hope damage will be done.

The U.S. Littlejohn, for instance, was intended to do just that, with the possibilty, one could suppose, of adding a "small" tactical nuclear weapon and doing devastating damage to your opponents field forces. Of course tactical nukes meant you probably wanted to have your people on this side of rather large hill (better yet a goodly sized mountain) to escape the blast effects and longer term radiation.

Another example is the smaller, more modern MRLS launcher, which mounts 16 8 foot rockets on a self propelled launch vehicle. This weapons launches pre-guided rockets into the enemy forces, using information relayed from heliocopter or other observing aircraft.

Below we list several types of battlefield missiles (includes man portable or cannon fired) as examples of the types that exist in the world's inventories:

Abbreviations Used: 

GTST    Gas Tube launcher (pyrotechnic generated), with side thrusters and 
        sustainer rocket
CLGP    Cannon Launched Guided Projectile
SLR     Shoulder launched single rocket solid motor
TLS     Truck/trailer launched rocket with sustainer
TLBS    Truck/trailer launched rocket with boost and sustainer engines
TBLR    Trailer mounted Box launched single engine solid motor
TBGM    Truck/trailer mounted box launcher (i.e. similar to Patriot)
TLGM    Tube launched guided missile
TLR     Tube launched unguided rocket
TLWGM   Tube launched wire guide missile

CW        Continuous Wave radar 
IIR       Initial Infrared designated aiming
Inertial  Intertial guidance platform
IO        Initially optically aimed
IR        IR homing
LG        Laser guided
MC        manually controlled (usually via wire)
PARC      Phased Array, Radar Command
PIR       Passive IR homing
PG        Programmed flight
RC        Radar Command (typically controlled intercept)
RG        Radar guided (same as RC radar beam is also coded to command) 
SARH      Semi-Active Radar Homing (brief, nearly covert radar pulses)
TSARH     Terminal mode SARH (radar comes on to refine final moments of attack)
WG        Wire guided
sa        Semi-automatic control

Data valid between 1993 and 1996

Note that most of the smaller rockets are wire or laser designation guided, while larger systems may incorporate integrated radar homing (SAMS for instance). 

Designation Name               Len       Diam     Wgt.     Prop.     Spd    Rng              Guid      Warhead

United States

Battlefield Ballistic 
MGM-52C      Lance             20ft      22in.    3,367lbs TLR       M3.0   45-75 mi         Inertial  nuc or 1,100 lb HE cluster
MGM-31       Pershing          34ft      40 in    10K lbs  TLMR      M8     100-460 mi       Inertial  400 kt nuclear

Multiple Rocket Launchers 

-            MLRS              13ft      8.94in   600lbs   TBLR      M1.0   18.6mi                     typically 12 rockets

SAM 

M48          Chaparral         114.5 in  5.0 in   185 lbs  TLS       M2.5   5,250 yds        IO/IR     28 lb cont rod HE
MIM-23       Hawk              
MIM-23B      Imp. Hawk         16.6in    14 in    1,383lbs TLBS      M2.5   25 mi            CWSARH    165lbs HE blast/frag
MIM-104      Patriot           209 in    16 in    2,200lbs TBLR      M3.0+  37 nm            PARCSARH  nuc or conv HE blast/frag
-            US Roland         94.5 in   6.3 in   143 lbs  TLBS      M1.6   3.73mi           IIRSARH   14.3 lbs (60 shaped charges)

Man Portable/Tube Launched 

FIM-43A      Redeye          48 in     2.75in   29lbs    SLR       M2.5   2 mi               IO/IR     Smooth case frag
FIM-92A      Stinger         60 in     2.75in   35lbs    SLR       M2.0   3.1+ mi            PIR       Smooth case frag
FGM-77A      Dragon          29.3 in   4.5 in   24.4 lbs GTST      230mph 200-3000 ft        IOWG      5.4lb linear
BGM-71A      TOW             45.7 in   6 in     46 lbs   TLWGM     625mph 1,640-12,300ft.    IOWG      8.6lb shaped with 6.3lb explosive
-            ADATS           ~10 ft    -        112+ lbs TLGM      -      550yds             IOLG      26+ lbs HE
             LAW 80          5 ft      -        ~5.5 ft  TLGM      -      550 yds            IO        ?
B-300        (Israeli)       ~4.5ft    82mm     17+lbs   TLWGM    -       440yds             IO

Cannon Fired 

M712         Copperhead      54 in     155mm    140 lbs  CLGP      M1+    2-10 mi            LD         49.6 lb shaped charge
M40          Recoilless      ~2 ft     106mm    37lbs    CLP       -      1200 yds           IO         17lbs 7oz HEP or HEAT or anti-personnel

Soviet Union/Russia

Multiple Rocket Launchers 
BM-21        (40 rckts)      ~8.0 ft   122mm   42+lbs   TLR        -      12 mi             ?
BM-24        (12 rckts)      ~6.5 ft.  240mm    -       TLR        -      8 mi               103 lbs 
BM-27        (16 rckts)      ~6.5 ft   220mm    -       TLR        -      ~25mi
RM-70        (40 rckts)      ~5.0 ft   122mm    -       TLR        -      12 mi

SAM (names given are NATO designations, NOT Russian) 

SA-1         Guild           40ft               6000lbs  TLGM      M2+    31 mi              RC/SARH    HE
SA-2         Guideline       35ft 5in  -        4590lbs  TLGM      M3.5   31 mi              RC/SARH    287 lb HE, proximity fused
SA-3         Gos             22ft      -        1380lbs  RLGM      M3.5   19 mi              RC         132 lb HE, proximity fused 
SA-4         Ganef           28+ft     -        4800lbs  TLGM      M2.5   43+ mi             RC/TSARH   298 lbs HE, proximity fused
SA-6         Gainful         20ft 4in  -        1212lbs  TLGM      M2.5   14-19 mi           SARH       176 lbs HE
SA-8         Gecko           10ft      -        375 lbs  TLGM      M2     1-7 mi           
SA-9         Gaskin          5ft 11in  -        66 lbs   TLGM      M1.5+  5 mi
SA-10        Grumble         23 ft     -        3075lbs  TLGM      M6     ?                  ?          HE or nuclear
SA-12        Gladiator       23ft 8in  -        4172lbs  TLGM      M3     5.5-90 mi          ?          330 lb HE
Man Portable
AT-3         Sagger          ~3.5 ft   -        24lbs    RLGM      -      328 yrds           MC/sa      6+ lbs HEAT
AT-4         Spigot          ~4.5 ft.  -        88lbs    TLGM      -      ?                  IOWG       HEAT
SPG-9        Rocket          ~3 ft.    -        134lbs   GLR       -      2140 yds           rocket     HE or HEAT
RPG-7        -               ~3.5ft    40mm     22lbs    Grenade   -      328 yds            rocket 
RPG-18       -               ~5 ft     66mm     8lbs     TLGM      -      656 ft             rocket

United Kingdom

SAM 
-            Bloodhound      25ft 5in  -        4590lbs  RLGM      M3+    50+ mi             SARH       HE with proximity fuse
-            Rapier          7ft. 4in  -        93+lbs   RLGM      M2     4 mi               IO/RG
-            Thunderbird     20ft 10in -        ?        RLGM      ?      47 mi              50lbs HE
-            Tigercat        4ft 10in  -        139 lbs  RLGM      ?      3 mi               HE
Man Portable/Tube Launched 
-            Swingfire       ~ 6ft     -        81+lbs   TLGM      -      4370 yds           IOWG       15.5lbs HE shaped charge

France/Germany

Multiple Rocket Launchers 
-            LARS            ~8ft      110mm    -        TLGM     -       9 mi
SAM 
-            Crotale         9ft 6in   -        187 lbs  TLGM     M2.3    6 mi               RG/IR 
-            Roland          7ft 11in  -        146 lbs  TLGM     M1.6+   4 mi               IO/RG
Man Portable 
-            HOT             ~6 ft     -        70+lbs   -                245 ft             IOWG       13+ lb hollow charge HE 
-            MBB Cobra      ~3.5ft     -        22lbs    GLWGM    -       2190 yds           15.5lbs HE shaped charge
DARD 120     SEP            ~4 ft      120mm    28lbs    TLR      -       655 ydsd           unguided

Italy

SAM 
-            Spada           12ft 2in  -        485 lbs  TBGM     M2+     ?                  SARH       HE
Man Portable 
-            Milan, Milan II ~4.5 ft   -        38 lbs                                       IOWG

Sweden

SAM 
RBS-70       -               16in      -        53 lbs   TLGM     M1      3 mi
             LG
-            Bantam          ~4 ft     -        25+lbs   TLGM     -       2190 yds           IOWG       ?
-            ADATS           ~10 ft    -        112+ lbs TLGM      -      550yds             IOLG       26+ lbs HE
Man portable/Tube Launched 
-            Bofors BILL     ~4.5ft    -        94+ lbs  TLGM     -       2190 yds           PG         downward shaped charge
M2           Carl Gustav     ~3.5ft    84mm     16.5+lbs TLGM     -       492 yds            recoiless round

U.S. (used by NATO only)

SAM 
             Nike Hercules   41ft      -        9725lbs  RLGM     M3.7    87+ mi             RC         HE (US version was also nuclear)
Man Portable 
M20          Super Bazooka   ~4 ft     3.5in    10lbs    TLR      -       328 ft             unguided   nearly 2lbs HE

Israel

Man Portable 
B-300        -               ~4.5ft    82mm     17+lbs   TLWGM    -       440yds             unguided

Egypt

Multiple Launch Rockets 
-            SAKR            ~ 7 ft    122mm    -        TLR      -       20mi               unguided     39.5 lbs
D-3000       -               ~8ft      80mm     -        TLR      -       1 mi

WEAPONS

Compiled from various sources including:

Direct experience from several MILNET visitors of authority

The Directory of the World's Weapons, Copyright Marshall Cavendish and Aerospace Publishing, printed by Index House in the Slovak Republic, Index House, Unit 1 A1-M1 Centre, Garrard Way, Kettering, Northants, U.K., NN16 8TD, ISBN 1-85605-348-2

The Illustrated Diretory of Modern American Weapons, Edited by Ray Bonds, an ARCO book, Copyright 1986, Salmander Books, Ltd, published in 1986 by i Prentice Hall Press, division of Simon & Schuster, Gulf + Western Building, i One Gulf + Western Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10023, ISBN 0-13-938747-1.

Air Force Magazine, various issues, Copyright 1986-1996, The Air Force Association, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA. 22209-1198, ISSN 073 0-6784.

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