ATGM
Anti-Tank Guided Missile
An Anti-Tank Guided Missile is a precision weapon designed to destroy armored vehicles, using wire, laser, infrared, or radio guidance to reach its target.
Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) give infantry, helicopters, and light vehicles the ability to destroy main battle tanks at ranges of several kilometers. Unlike unguided rockets, ATGMs use a guidance system that allows the operator or the missile itself to steer toward the target, dramatically increasing the probability of a hit against a specific weak point on an armored vehicle.
ATGMs have evolved through several generations. First-generation missiles like the SS.11 required the operator to manually steer the missile using a joystick. Second-generation systems like the TOW use semi-automatic command guidance, where the operator keeps crosshairs on the target while the system automatically steers the missile. Third-generation missiles like the Javelin are fire-and-forget, using an imaging infrared seeker to autonomously track the target after launch.
The effectiveness of ATGMs has been repeatedly demonstrated in modern conflicts, from Hezbollah's use of Kornet missiles against Israeli tanks in 2006 to the widespread employment of Javelin and NLAW missiles in Ukraine. Their relatively low cost compared to the tanks they destroy has made them a central element of anti-armor warfare and a driving force behind the development of active protection systems.
Related Terms
APS(Active Protection System)
Active Protection System is a defensive system mounted on armored vehicles that detects and intercepts incoming anti-tank missiles and rockets before they strike.
ERA(Explosive Reactive Armor)
Explosive Reactive Armor consists of tiles containing explosive material that detonate outward when struck, disrupting the penetration jet of shaped-charge warheads.
HEAT Round(High-Explosive Anti-Tank)
High-Explosive Anti-Tank is a type of ammunition that uses a shaped-charge warhead to create a jet of molten metal capable of penetrating armored vehicles.
Related Articles
The Javelin Missile Costs $240,000 Per Shot. Here's Why Every Army on Earth Wants One.
The FGM-148 Javelin weighs 49 pounds, costs $178,000 per missile, and can kill a $4 million main battle tank from 2,500 meters away. Its fire-and-forget infrared seeker, top-attack flight profile, and tandem warhead have made it the most feared anti-tank weapon on modern battlefields, and Ukraine proved it. Here's why it takes 32 months to build one.
The NLAW Costs $40,000 and Destroys $4 Million Tanks. Here's How It Works.
The NLAW weighs 12.5 kg, costs $40,000, and has destroyed more Russian tanks than any other Western weapon in Ukraine. Its unique PLOS guidance system makes it immune to every tank countermeasure, and its 100:1 cost ratio against modern MBTs is rewriting the economics of armored warfare.