9M14 Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger)

The 9M14 Malyutka, also known as 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 designed to be used against armored vehicles and has been employed by various countries, including the Soviet Union, Vietnam, Syria, Egypt, Israel, and others.

Development

The 9M14 Malyutka was developed in the early 1960s by Tula and Kolomna design offices with the command given by the Soviet Convention. The requested features were:

* Can be assembled or rolled by man
* Range: 3000 m
* Armor-punching rate: 200mm with 60°
* Maximum weight: 10 kg

The development of the missile was influenced by French Entac and Swiss-made Kobra missiles with western-style ATGMs developed in the 1950s. The Kolomna Makina Design Firm, responsible for the AT-1 Snapper missile, was nominated for developing prototypes.

Characteristics

The 9M14 Malyutka is a wire-guided MCLOS system that uses a command to line of sight guidance system. It has a range of approximately 3000 meters and can penetrate armor up to 200mm with a 60° angle. The missile weighs around 10 kg and has an average flight speed of 8.5 revolutions per second.

Operational History

The 9M14 Malyutka was first deployed in the Soviet Union in September 1963. It was used extensively during the Vietnam War, where it achieved some successes against South Vietnamese Army forces. The missile also saw action during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, when Syrian and Egyptian forces employed it against Israeli tanks.

In recent years, the 9M14 Malyutka has been reported to have been used by Palestinian factions, including Hamas, against Israeli targets.

Variants

There are several variants of the 9M14 Malyutka, including:

* 9M14P Mal: A modified version of the missile with improved guidance and propulsion systems.
* SACLOS (Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight): A semi-automatic command to line of sight guidance system that was introduced in later versions of the missile.

Users

The 9M14 Malyutka has been employed by various countries, including:

* Soviet Union
* Vietnam
* Syria
* Egypt
* Israel
* Palestine (Hamas)

See Also

* AT-3 Sagger
* Anti-tank guided missile
* Wire-guided missile
* MCLOS system