9M14 Malyutka

9M14 Malyutka
The 9M14 Malyutka ("Little one", NATO reporting name: AT-3 Sagger) is a manual command to line of sight (MCLOS) wire-guided anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system developed in the Soviet Union. It was the first man-portable anti-tank guided missile of the Soviet Union and is probably the most widely produced ATGM of all time—with Soviet production peaking at 25,000 missiles a year during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, copies of the missile have been manufactured under various names by at least six countries.
Although they have been supplanted by more advanced anti-tank guided missiles, the Malyutka and its variants have seen widespread use in nearly every regional conflict since the 1960s.
Development
Development began in July 1961 with the government assigning the project to two design teams: Tula and Kolomna. The requirements were:
Vehicle mountable and/or man portable
Range of 3,000 meters
Armor penetration of 200 millimetres at 60°
Maximum weight of 10 kilograms
The designs were based on the Western ATGMs of the 1950s, such as the French ENTAC and the Swiss Cobra. In the end, the prototype developed by the Kolomna Machine Design Bureau, who were also responsible for the 3M6 Shmel, was chosen. Initial tests were completed by 20 December 1962, and the missile was accepted for service on 16 September 1963.
Description
The missile can be fired from a portable suitcase launcher (9P111), ground vehicles (BMP-1, BRDM-2) and helicopters (Mi-2, Mi-8, Mi-24, Soko Gazelle). The missile takes about five minutes to deploy from its 9P111 fibreglass suitcase, which also serves as the launching platform.
The missile is guided to the target by means of a small joystick (9S415), which requires intensive training of the operator. The operator's adjustments are transmitted to the missile via a thin three-strand wire that trails behind the missile. The missile climbs into the air immediately after launch, which prevents it from hitting obstacles or the ground. In flight, the missile spins at 8.5 revolutions per second—it is initially spun by its booster, and the spin is maintained by the slight angle of the wings. The missile uses a small gyroscope to orient itself relative to the ground; as a result, the missile can take some time to bring back in line with the target, which gives it a minimum range of between . For targets under 1,000 m, the operator can guide the missile by eye; for targets beyond this range the operator uses the eight-power, 22.5-degree field of view, 9Sh16 periscope sight.
The engagement envelope is a , 45-degree arc centered on the missile's launch axis. At ranges under , this arc reduces until, at the range, the missile can only hit targets either side of the center line. Accuracy falls off away from the launch axis—falling to approximately half its optimal accuracy at the extremes.
While early estimates of the missile hitting the target ranged from 60 to 90%, experience has shown that it can drop to an efficiency between 2 and 25% in case of less than optimal conditions and lack of skill from the operator. In fact, MCLOS requires considerable skill on the part of the operator, nevertheless, the weapon has always been quite popular with its operators and has enjoyed a constant updating effort both in the Soviet Union/Russia and in other countries.
The two most serious defects of the original weapon are its minimum range of between (targets that are closer cannot be effectively engaged) and the amount of time it takes the slow moving missile to reach maximum range—around 30 seconds—giving the intended target time to take appropriate action, either by retreating behind an obstacle, laying down a smoke-screen, or by returning fire on the operator.
Later versions of the missile addressed these problems by implementing the much easier to use guidance system (though only available for ground vehicle and helicopter mounts), as well as upgrading the propulsion system to increase the average flight speed. The latest updates feature tandem-charge warheads or standoff probes to counteract explosive reactive armor, as well as thermal imaging systems. Even in these latest versions, the Malyutka is probably the most inexpensive ATGM in service today, with a unit cost far less than that of more advanced systems.
History
In Soviet service, the man-portable version was deployed as part of the anti-tank platoon of motor rifle battalions. Each platoon had two Malyutka sections, each with two teams. Each team had two launcher stations. One assistant gunner in each team served as an RPG-7 gunner. The RPG-7 was needed to cover the 500 meter deadzone created by the minimum range of the missile.
It is also an integrated part of the BMP-1, BMD-1, and BRDM-2 vehicles.
Vietnam War
On 23 April 1972, the recently organized Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 20th Tank Regiment was attacked by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) employing the 9M14M Malyutka anti-tank guided missile for the first time. The 20th was the only South Vietnamese armor unit equipped with the M48 Patton tank. This first employment of the Malyutka destroyed one M48A3 and one M113 armored cavalry assault vehicle (ACAV), and a second ACAV was damaged.
During this engagement with the weapon, the ARVN tankers appeared fascinated by the missile's slow and erratic flight, but through experience, they soon deployed countermeasures against the weapon system. Upon launching by the enemy, ARVN crewmen would fire all their weapons towards the missile's firing position, which would make the gunner flinch and lose control of his missile. Although the gunner could take cover away from the launch site, the joystick control wire only allowed 15 meters of clearance. During the engagement, the ARVN eventually lost eight tanks to the 9M14M missile, but had developed tactics to defend themselves against it.
During the Battle of Kontum (1972), 33 missiles were fired and 32 hit, destroying four tanks, two howitzers, six bunkers and seven other targets.
During the Battle of Cửa Việt (1973), the PAVN put up fierce resistance to the attack, destroying 26 M48s and M113s with 9M14 missiles.
Vietnam claims that throughout the war, PAVN gunner Dao Van Tien fired 134 missiles and 130 hit, destroying 23 tanks and APCs, 12 howitzers, 27 bunkers and 17 other targets.
Yom Kippur War
The missile was employed by Arab armies during the initial phases of the Yom Kippur War. Later in the war, the Israelis adopted new tactics and learned to neutralize the threat by employing large concentrations of artillery fire to either distract or kill the missile operators. Other improvised methods used by the Israelis to defeat the Malyutkas involved firing in front of the tank to create dust, moving back and forth and firing at the source of the missile. These Israeli tactics were later adopted by NATO forces to counter the threat posed by Warsaw Pact ATGMs. In total, Malyutkas knocked out more than 800 Israeli tanks and other combat vehicles during the war.
Libyan Civil War
Rebels of the Free Libyan Army have been filmed using Malyutkas during the Libyan Civil War.
Syrian Civil War
Syrian rebels have also uploaded videos of themselves firing Malyutkas against government forces since late 2012.
Models
9M14 Malyutka
9M14 Malyutka (NATO reporting name AT-3 Sagger) wire-guided MCLOS, entered service in 1963.
9M14P Malyutka-P (NATO reporting name AT-3C Sagger C) wire-guided SACLOS, entered service in 1969. Improved warhead (460 mm versus RHA)
9M14P1 Improved warhead (520 mm versus RHA), and a stand off probe for improved capability against ERA.
9M14MP1
9M14MP2
9M14M Malyutka-M (NATO reporting name AT-3B Sagger B) wire-guided MCLOS, entered service in 1973. Improved motor, reducing flight time to maximum range. Mass 11 kg. Range 3 km.
9M14-2 Malyutka-2 (NATO reporting name AT-3D Sagger D) wire-guided SACLOS, entered service in 1992. Speed improved to 130 m/s. 3.5 kg HEAT warhead (800 mm penetration versus RHA). Weight 12.5 kg. Range 3 km.
9M14-2M Malyutka-2M 4.2 kg tandem HEAT warhead for improved capability against ERA. Weight 13.5 kg. Speed 120 m/s.
9M14-2P Malyutka-2P
9M14-2F Malyutka-2F 3.0 kg thermobaric warhead. Intended for use against troops and soft vehicles.
9M14P-2F
9M14-2T Serbian VTI Malyutka-2T SACLOS. 4.4 kg tandem HEAT warhead (1,000 mm penetration versus RHA), improved capability against ERA. Weight 13.7 kg. Speed 120 m/s.
2T5 Serbian VTI Malyutka-2T5 range 5 kilometers, guided missile via radio control. Speed 200 m/s.
HJ-73 Hongjian Red Arrow-73 China
HJ-73 MCLOS entered service in 1979
HJ-73A SACLOS new guidance system as well as stronger primary warhead.
HJ-73B SACLOS stand off probe for improved capability against ERA
HJ-73C SACLOS tandem HEAT warhead to penetrate vehicles protected by ERA. Launcher equipped with thermals.
RAAD Iran
RAAD 9M14M clone
RAAD-T tandem HEAT warhead
I-RAAD SACLOS
I-RAAD-T SACLOS tandem HEAT warhead
Susong-Po North Korean
Maliutka M2T Romania, joint ELMEC and Euromissile project, uses MILAN 2T tandem warhead capable of defeating ~900mm of RHA.
Kun Wu 1 In the 1970s, the Taiwanese National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology replicated and produced the 9M14 Malyutka as the Kun Wu. The ROC had obtained the 9M14 Malyutkas from South Vietnam. Due to the dated design and low priority placed on anti-tank weapons by the armed forces it was not widely adopted.
Production
The Malyutka and modern derivatives are still produced in several versions in following countries:
North Korea – domestic version Susong-Po
Iran – domestic modernized version RAAD
Serbia – few domestic modernized versions with different types of warheads, range and guidance
Vietnam – CTVN-18, under license from Serbia version with improved SACLOS guidance
China – HJ-73 variants
Romania – Malyutka M2T
Egypt – licensed modernized version AHRAM with new warheads and a thermal sight
Operators
Current
– 6,000 sent by the Soviet Union, unknown amount remaining/still in use
-Chinese HJ-73.
- in storage
both imported Malyutkas and locally manufactured copies
– Will be replaced with 9M133 Kornet and Israeli Spikes
Locally manufactured, used on BWP-1 and 9P133.
– Chinese HJ-73.
Non-state
Al-Shabaab
Boko Haram
Hamas
Hezbollah
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Islamic State – Sinai Province
KDP Peshmerga
Libyan National Army
Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (aka Al-Quds Brigades)
PKK
Popular Mobilization Units
Syrian rebels
Tahrir al-Sham
Former
- Chinese HJ-73
– 50 sent in 1980s
National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR)
National Liberation Army (Macedonia)
Kosovo Liberation Army
Palestinian Authority
1970s military aid
– Reserve
Taliban
Union of Forces for Democracy and Development
– In reserve
See also
List of Russian weaponry
List of NATO reporting names for anti-tank missiles
Notes
References
Hull, A.W., Markov, D.R., Zaloga, S.J. (1999). Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices 1945 to Present. Darlington Productions. .
Противотанковый ракетный комплекс "Малютка" (9К14/9К11)
ПТУР первого поколения в АОИ, by Oleg Granovsky
ПТРК 9К11/9К14 «Малютка»
Starry, Donn A., General. Mounted Combat in Vietnam. Vietnam Studies; Department of the Army. First printed 1978-CMH Pub 90–17.
Dunstan, Simon. Vietnam Tracks-Armor in Battle. 1982 edition, Osrey Publishing; .
External links
short YouTube video showing Sagger being unpacked and prepared to fire
FAS report on AT-3 SAGGER Anti-Tank Guided Missile
Russian webpage on AT-3 MALYUTKA
Anti-tank guided missiles of the Cold War
Anti-tank guided missiles of the Soviet Union
Hezbollah rocket systems
KB Mashinostroyeniya products
Military equipment introduced in the 1960s