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.