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The experience of the Joint Forces Operation was taken into account: the US Army announced the requirements for the latest anti-tank missile


Американські військові шукають заміну комплексу TOW

Promising anti-tank guided missile complex should hit targets at distances from 100 meters to 10 kilometers. As a “bonus”, the US military want to add the option of re-aiming the missile during the flight, which Javelin cannot do – according to Defense Express.

The US Army has formulated requirements for the latest anti-tank missile, which should replace the TOW anti-tank missile in combat formations.

If we take into account these requirements, we can conclude that the current newest Javelin and Spike systems no longer suit the US military. And also – that in formulating the requirements for the latest anti-tank guided missile complex, the US Army took into account in particular the experience of hostilities, which was accumulated by units of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) during the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The US Army adopted the BGM-71 TOW complex in the 1970s

In particular, the latest anti-tank guided missile complex for the US Army should have a maximum firing range of up to 10 kilometers, a minimum firing range of only 100 meters. The anti-tank guided missile complex should be easy to integrate with both the existing Bradley BMP and its “successors”, and provide the option of “shooting on the go”.

Aiming this anti-tank guided missile complex at the target should be essentially universal – the US military requires that the missile should have options for guidance and optoelectronic channel, guidance on a laser beam, the option of “shot-forget”, as well as the option of guidance on drones.

Combat firing TOW complexes located on the Bradley BMP

And also – that such missiles could be launched in a “swarm”, ie from several machines at once, and that each missile could change in flight its priority target for destruction.

Promising anti-tank guided missile complex for the US Army should also hit not only the enemy’s armored vehicles, but also – the positions and fortifications of the enemy.

The US Army also uses Stryker armored vehicles as mobile platforms for BGM-71 TOW complexes.

In theory, the anti-tank system Spike SR from the Israeli company Rafael meets such requirements better than any other. Test firings from this anti-tank guided missile complex, were conducted, according to Defense Express, by US Army in early January this year.

American infantryman with the Spike SR complex

Its competitor Javelin has a firing range of 500 meters longer, but there is only one aiming mode – “shot and forgot”.

In turn, such an option as the guidance of anti-aircraft missiles, according to the drone, the US Army seems to have peeked at their French counterparts. Defense Express reported that at the end of January 2021, MBDA conducted test firings at the Kanyurs Army range, which involved an anti-tank missile system MMR in “infantry” configuration and a drone Novadem NX70. At the moment, this is the only known experiment on “crossing” anti-tank systems and UAVs.

The goal is to test the possibility of firing from the MMR complex at targets “out of sight”, the French military successfully conducted their experimental shootings