MILAN Full Form
MILAN (Missile d'infanterie légère antichar; "Light anti-tank infantry missile" in French) is a guided anti-tank missile that entered service in 1972. The MILAN Anti-Tank Missiles were recently in the news when the Defence Ministry of India signed an agreement with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to supply the Indian Army with the 2T variant of the MILAN for Rs. 1188 crore. MILAN is being designed by the BDL under a licence from a French business. The MILAN was designed in 1962, tested in 1971, and accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire-guided semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) missile, which implies that the launch unit's sight must be focused on a target in order for the missile to be guided. The MILAN can be outfitted with a MIRA or MILIS thermal sight to allow it to fire at night. "Milan" is also a frequent name for a kite bird in French and German.
Background of MILAN Anti-Tank Missiles
MILAN is the result of Euromissile, a 1960s Franco-West German missile development initiative. The system entered service as a second-generation anti-tank weapon in 1972 and quickly became a common anti-tank weapon throughout NATO, with most of the alliance's individual forces using it.
The MILAN system, which consists of two primary components, the launcher and the missile, employs a semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) command guidance system. Depending on the variant, it tracks the missile using either a tail-mounted infrared lamp or an electronic-flash lamp. The missile is not impacted by radio jamming or flares because it is guided by wire by an operator.
Variants and Operational History of the MILAN
MILAN 1: Single, main-shaped charge warhead, calibre 103 mm (1972).
MILAN 2: Single, main-shaped charge warhead (1984) - see photo to right, calibre 115 mm.
MILAN 2T: Tandem-shaped charge warheads for reactive armour defeat (1993).
MILAN 3: Tandem, shaped charge warheads (1996), and an electronic beacon is used to bypass the Shtora jammer.
MILAN ER: Increased range (3,000 m) and penetration.
Most Milan Anti-Tank missile variants have been used by armies around the world in a variety of conflict zones over the years, most notably during the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and the recent civil war in Syria, where a coalition of western forces supplied the Kurdish Peshmerga and the Syrian Free Army to aid in their fight against ISIS.
Description of MILAN Anti-Tank Missiles
The MILAN Anti-Tank Missile is made up of two primary parts:
Launcher
Missile
It employs a command guiding system based on a semi-automatic command line of sight (SACLOS). The SACLOS is a missile command guiding system. The operator of this guiding system must constantly point a sighting device towards the target while the missile is in flight. The sighting device and/or the missile's electronics then guide it to the target.
Depending on the model, the MILAN missile tracks the target using a tail-mounted infrared lamp or an electronic-flash lamp. The missile will not be affected by radio jammers or flares because it is steered by wire by an operator.
MILAN Anti-Tank Missiles Disadvantages
Close range
Operator Exposure
Overland powerlines pose a risk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The long form of MILAN is Missile d'infanterie légère antichar.
MILAN is the result of Euromissile, a 1960s Franco-West German missile development initiative.
In January 2019, India's Defence Acquisition Council approved the purchase of 5,000 MILAN anti-tank guided missiles. The Defence Acquisition Council of India contracted Bharat Dynamics to provide 4,960 MILAN-2T ATGMs to the Indian Army in March 2021 for INR11.88 billion ($163.3 million).
The FGM-148 Javelin is the current anti-tank weapon of choice. The maximum range of the Javelin is 2,500 metres, although it is fairly portable. It's a set-it-and-forget solution that doesn't need a tripod. The missile detects the threat and can fly in direct-fire or top-attack modes.
The indigenously designed Army and Air Force versions of anti-tank guided missile systems 'Helina' and 'Dhruvastra' were successfully tested in the Pokhran range in Thar Desert Rajasthan.