MILAN

MILAN
Missile d'Infanterie Léger Antichar (French for "Lightweight Infantry Anti-tank Missile") or MILAN is a Franco-West German anti-tank guided missile system. Design of the MILAN began in 1962; it was ready for trials in 1971, and accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire-guided semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) missile, which means the sight of the launch unit must be aimed at a target to guide the missile. The MILAN can be equipped with a MIRA or MILIS thermal sight to give it night-firing ability.
"Milan" is also a common name in French and German to designate a kite bird.
Background
MILAN is a product of Euromissile, a Franco-West German missile development program dating back to the 1960s. The system entered service in 1972 as a second generation anti-tank weapon and soon became a standard anti-tank weapon throughout NATO, in use by most of the alliance's individual armies.
Consisting of two main components, the launcher and the missile, the MILAN system uses a semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) command guidance system. It tracks the missile either by a tail-mounted infrared lamp or an electronic-flash lamp, depending on the model. Because it is guided by wire by an operator, the missile cannot be affected by radio jamming or flares. However, drawbacks include short range, exposure of the operator, and problems with overland powerlines.
The MILAN 2 variant, which entered service with the French, German and British armies in 1984, uses an improved 115 mm high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge warhead. The MILAN 3 entered service with the French army in 1995 and features a new-generation localizer that makes the system more difficult to jam electronically.
Variants
MILAN 1: Single, main shaped charge warhead (1972), calibre 103 mm
MILAN 2: Single, main shaped charge warhead, with standoff probe to increase penetration (1984) – see photo to right, calibre 115 mm
MILAN 2T: Tandem shaped charge warheads to defeat reactive armour (1993)
MILAN 3: Tandem, shaped charge warheads (1996) and electronic beacon to defeat Shtora jammer
MILAN ER: Extended range (3,000 m) and improved penetration
The later MILAN models have tandem-charge HEAT warheads. This was done to keep pace with developments in Soviet armour technology: their tanks began to appear with explosive reactive armour (ERA), which could defeat earlier anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). The smaller precursor HEAT warhead penetrates and detonates the ERA tiles, exposing the way for the main HEAT warhead to penetrate the armour behind. Early missile versions used a simple flare to show the launch post their position left–right and above–below the crosshair, which then led to steering commands (SACLOS guidance). This was exploited with IR jammers such as Soviet Shtora that created a strong signal that was always on target, and thus led to wrong steering commands. The later electronic IR beacon used a coded signal sequence (switching between emitting and not emitting) that enabled the launch post to discern the missile's beacon from the jammer.
Both the explosive reactive armour and the guidance jamming provided excellent frontal protection for well-equipped Warsaw Pact main battle tanks against Milan and other 1980's SACLOS-guided anti-tank missiles until both were countered through technical means after the end of the Cold War.
Combat use
Afghanistan
MILAN missile systems were among the numerous weapons sent to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan in the 1980s by the United States to combat Soviet troops. The MILAN had a devastating effect on Soviet armor, having a similar effect on tanks and armored personnel carriers as Stinger missiles had had on Soviet helicopters. In 2010, French troops killed four Afghan civilians in Kapisa Province using a MILAN system during a firefight.
Chadian–Libyan conflict
MILAN missiles provided by the French government saw common usage during the war between Chad and Libya where they were used by Chadian forces. Often mounted on Toyota pickup trucks, the missiles successfully engaged Libyan armour in the Aouzou Strip including T-55 tanks.
Falklands War
In 1982, the ruling military junta in Argentina launched the invasion of the UK overseas territory of the Falkland Islands, leading to the Falklands War. British forces used MILAN, along with the M72 LAW and Carl Gustaf, in a 'bunker buster' role. The MILAN saw use in the battles for Goose Green, Mount Longdon, Two Sisters and Wireless Ridge.
Gulf War
MILAN was used by both coalition and Iraqi forces during the Persian Gulf War, with a MILAN launcher operated by French forces claiming to have destroyed seven T-55 tanks. Iraqi operated MILAN missiles were supplied by the French government during the 1980s and were used by Iraqi forces during both Gulf Wars.
Syria
Syria ordered about 200 launchers and 4,000 missiles in 1977 which were delivered in 1978-1979 and used by the Syrians during the Lebanese Civil War. The Syrian army used Milan missiles against Israeli tanks in Lebanon in 1982. The missiles were in service during the Syrian Civil War, fielded by the Republican Guard. Syrian rebels captured some in depots, as did ISIL. The Kurdish YPG also used Milans supplied by the international coalition.
In 2015, Germany supplied the Peshmerga with 30 MILAN launchers and over 500 missiles. Those missiles were mostly used against ISIS forces, but on 20 October during the 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Kurdish forces destroyed an Iraqi M1 Abrams tank and several Humvees using the MILANs.
South Africa
The first Milan version was delivered to the Special Forces and the antitank platoons in the late 1970s and 1980s at a scale of six launchers per platoon. Each platoon was organised into three antitank sections, with two ATGM launchers and two M40A1 106mm recoilless guns or two rocket launchers.
Six SADF Milan teams were deployed by the Special Forces in support of the Angolan UNITA guerrillas, in the Cazombo Salient in 1985 during Operation Wallpaper.
Russian invasion of Ukraine
France has sent MILAN missiles to Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. There have been unconfirmed footage of it being used by the Ukrainian military on Russian targets. Russian forces have also been seen using captured MILANs
Operators
Current operators
– Afghan National Army: 271
– Algerian People's National Army: 340
- Royal Bahraini Army: mounted on 5 AIFV-B-Milan vehicles: 343
- Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina: 90
- Botswana Defence Force
– Brazilian Army: 406
- Burundi Army (reported): 465
- Cameroon Army: 466
– Chadian Ground Forces: 469 mounted on light vehicles
– Cypriot National Guard: 95
– Egyptian Army: 345
– French Army: Infantry and vehicle-mounted weapon.: 105 Will be replaced by Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) from 2017.
- Gabon Army: 478
– Bundeswehr: 109
– Hellenic Army: 112
– Indian Army: 23,500 missiles MILAN-2 (some or all built under license by Bharat Dynamics), and MILAN-2T
- Indonesian Army: 276
– Iraqi Army
– Peshmerga: 30 launchers and 500 missiles, delivery in two portions was announced on 31 August 2014 by German Bundeswehr. These are 1980s Milan 2 replaced by later models but still in storage. Used by the Kurds to stop ISIL vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs).
– Italian Army Total of 714 launchers with 17,163 missile delivered in 1990. 807 MILAN 2T ordered in 2004 and delivered in 2005 (SIPRI).
- mounted on 45 AIFV-B-Milan vehicles: 358
– Kenyan Army: 483
– Lebanese Army: 362
– Libyan National Army: 1,000 MILAN-3 exported between 2008 and 2011, 400 systems in 2011.
– Army of the Republic of Macedonia: 126
– Mauritanian Army: 365
– Mexican Army: mounted on 8 Panhard VBL scout cars: 427
– Royal Moroccan Army: 367
- Royal Army of Oman and Royal Household: 370
– Portuguese Army; Portuguese Marines: 137
PKK:
- Saudi Arabian Army: 373
- Senegalese Army: 496
- Singapore Army: 307
– South African Army: 375 missiles.
– Syrian Army: 377
Free Syrian Army: Some captured.
YPG
– Tunisian Armed Forces: 120 missiles.
– Turkish Army: 154
: some donated by France to support the Ukrainian army in war against Russia.
: 381
– Uruguayan Army: 438
– Yemeni Armed forces
Former operators
– Australian Army: Was used by infantry and mounted on vehicles. The Australian Army withdrew the MILAN from service in the early 1990s. The ADF now fields the FGM-148 Javelin system.
– Belgian Army: Infantry weapon; replaced by Spike-LR in 2014
– Estonian Defence Forces
– Irish Army: Infantry weapon; replaced by the FGM-148 Javelin.
- imported in 1978-1979
– Spanish Army
UNITA: 150 missiles.
– British Army; Royal Marines – While primarily an infantry weapon, it was also used in the FV120 Spartan MCT turret. Over 50,000 missiles were purchased for use in the British Armed Forces. The MILAN was deployed against Argentine bunkers in the Falklands conflict and later against T-55s during the Persian Gulf War. It was replaced by the FGM-148 Javelin in mid-2005. Previously made under licence by British Aerospace Dynamics.
See also
Missile Moyenne Portée
Eryx
HOT (missile)
BGM-71 TOW
HJ-8
References
Notes
External links
Technical data sheet on the website of MBDA
GlobalSecurity.org
Information about The British Army's MILAN 2
Video link
Anti-tank guided missiles of France
Anti-tank guided missiles of Germany
Anti-tank guided missiles of the Cold War
Cold War weapons of Germany
France–Germany military relations
Military equipment introduced in the 1970s