MILAN

For the Italian city, see Milan. For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation).
MILAN
MILAN missile launcher with tripod.
Type Anti-tank missile
Place of origin France, West Germany
Service history
In service 1972–present
Used by See operators
Wars South African Border War
Chadian-Libyan conflict
Toyota War
Western Sahara War
Lebanese Civil War
Iran–Iraq War
Falklands War
Gulf War
2003 invasion of Iraq
Iraq War
Opération Licorne
Libyan Civil War
Northern Mali Conflict
Operation Sangaris
War in Iraq (2013–2017)
Syrian Civil War
Russian invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Designed 1970s
Manufacturer MBDA
Also produced under license by:
Bharat Dynamics (India)
BAe Dynamics (United Kingdom)
Unit cost £7,500 (1984)
Produced 1972
No. built 350,000 missiles, 10,000 launchers
Variants See variants
Specifications (MILAN 3)
Mass 16.4 kg
Length 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Diameter 0.115 m (4.5 in)
Wingspan 0.26 m (10 in)
Warhead Single or tandem HEAT
Detonation
mechanism
 contact
Engine solid-fuel rocket
Operational
range
 200–2,000 m (660–6,560 ft);
3,000 m (MILAN ER)
Maximum speed 200 m/s (660 ft/s)
Guidance
system
 SACLOS wire
Steering
system
 Jet deflector
Launch
platform
 Individual, vehicle

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 models
MILAN 1.
MILAN II with stand-off probe which almost doubles penetration.
View through the optical sight.
  • 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.

Syrian Milan team in Lebanon, 1982.

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

Map with MILAN operators in blue and former operators in red. Non state operators are not shown

Current operators

MILAN missiles
A Bundeswehr Marder infantry fighting vehicle firing.
2007.
German Army missile equipped with AGDUS combat simulator.
Vehicle mounted launcher and missiles in Egyptian service during Operation Desert Shield.
Strike on training target, 2001.

Former operators

See also