9M113 Konkurs

The 9M113 "Konkurs" ( _ru. 9М113 «Конкурс»; _en. contest) SACLOS wire-guided Anti-tank missile of the Soviet Union. "9M113" is the GRAU designation of the missile. Its NATO reporting name is AT-5 "Spandrel".

Development

The 9M113 Konkurs was developed by the Tula Machinery Design Bureau (Tula KBP). Development began in 1962 with the aim of producing the next generation of SACLOS ATGM's, for use in both the man portable role and the tank destroyer role. The 9M113 Konkurs was developed alongside the AT-4; both missiles use similar technology, only differing in size.

There was some speculation that the missiles were based on the Euromissile HOT/MILAN - which employ similar concepts.

The missile entered service in 1974. Iran began producing a copy, the Towsan-1/M113, sometime around 2000 Chistopher F. Foss, "Jane's Defense Week", [http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/news/jdw/jdw000526_2_n.shtml Another ATGW for Iran] ] .

Description

The missile is designed to be fired from vehicles, although it can also be fired from the later models of AT-4 Spigot launchers. It is an integral part of the BMP-2, BMD-2 and BRDM-2 vehicles. The missile is stored and carried in a glass reinforced plastic container/launch tube.

The system uses a gas generator to push the missile out of the launch tube. The gas also exits from the rear of the launch tube in a similar manner to a recoilless rifle. The missile leaves the launch tube at 80 m/s. It is quickly accelerated to 200 m/s by its solid fuel motor. This initial high speed reduces the deadzone of the missile, since it can be launched directly at the target, rather than in an upward arc. The missile spins in flight at between 5 and 7 revolutions per second.

The launcher tracks the position of an incandescent infrared bulb on the back of the missile relative to the target and transmits appropriate commands to the missile via a thin wire that trails behind the missile. The system has an alarm that activates when it detects jamming from a system like Shtora. The operator can then take manual control, reducing the missile to MCLOS. The SACLOS guidance system has many benefits over MCLOS. Accuracy of the system is quoted in some sources as 90%, though its performance is probably comparable to the TOW or later SACLOS versions of the Sagger.

History

Israel's military has unveiled that Hezbollah used 9M113 Konkurs in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. The Israel Defense Forces asserted that Hezbollah has employed the AT-5 Spandrel against Israeli main battle tanks in Lebanon. The Spandrel is a Russian-origin anti-tank missile sold to Iran in the 1990s and later copied by Iran.The wire-guided Spandrel measures about two meters and has a range of 3.6 kilometers. Iran was said to have begun serial production of the missile in 2000 .

General characteristics (AT-5A Spandrel)

* Length: 1150 mm / 875mm without gas generator
* Wingspan: 468 mm
* Diameter: 135 mm
* Launch weight: 14.6 kg
* Speed: 80 m/s at launch - 200 m/s in flight
* Range: 70 m - 4 km
* Time to maximum range: 20 seconds
* Guidance: wire-guided SACLOS
* Warhead: 2.7 kg 9N131 HEAT 600 mm vs RHA

Models

* 9M113 "Konkurs" (NATO: AT-5 "Spandrel", AT-5A "Spandrel A")
* 9M113M "Konkurs-M" (NATO: AT-5B "Spandrel B") Tandem warhead - with extended explosive probe.

Users

;flag|Bulgaria;flag|Commonwealth of Independent States;CRO;flag|Czechoslovakia - produced in licence;flag|Czech Republic"';flag|Hungary;flag|Indonesia;flag|India;flag|Iran;flag|Morocco;flag|Peru;flag|Poland;flag|Romania;flag|Slovakia;USSR;flag|Turkey;flag|Ukraine;flag|United States - training only

External links

* [http://www.thetankmaster.com/english/afv/KONKURS.asp ATGM launcher vehicle "KONKURS" (BRDM-2) – Walk around photos]
* http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/at5spandrel.htm
* http://btvt.narod.ru/4/konkurs.htm "in Russian"

References

* Hull, A.W. , Markov, D.R. , Zaloga, S.J. (1999). "Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices 1945 to Present". Darlington Productions. ISBN 1-892848-01-5.