Military Wiki
MAPATS
MAPATS
MAPATS missile
Type Anti-tank missile
Place of origin Flag of Israel Israel
Service history
Used by Israel Defense Forces

MAPATS (Man Portable Anti-Tank System, also a Hebrew word for explosion) is a laser-beam riding anti-tank guided missile developed by Israel Military Industries as a possible successor to US wire-guided BGM-71 TOW.

MAPATS is capable of day and night operation, while the gunner has to direct his laser designator on the target until the missile impacts. First revealed in 1984, it has no trailing wire; so it can be fired over water at naval targets or from sea to land, unlike wire-guided ATGMs. The launcher has an elevation capacity up to +30°, so MAPATS can be used in the anti-helicopter role. Externally, MAPATS is very similar in appearance to the TOW 2.

Versions[]

The newer version of MAPATS, developed in the early 1990s, has a new engine and better laser guidance. Some new warheads were developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, including the tandem HEAT warhead and the HE bunker buster warhead.

Operators[]

Flag of Chile Chile
Flag of Ecuador Ecuador
Flag of Estonia Estonia
Flag of Israel Israel
Flag of Venezuela Venezuela

Characteristics[]

  • Effective range: 300 - 6,000 meters
  • Length: 148 cm
  • Diameter: 156 mm
  • Weight
    • Missile itself: 18 kg
    • Missile in canister: 29 kg
    • Launcher: 66 kg
  • Propulsion: 2 stage solid rocket motor
  • Penetration: 1,200 mm
  • Guidance: IR-laser-beam riding
  • Warhead: HEAT, HE

Comparable systems[]

Notes[]

MAPATS is sometimes nicknamed Hutra (in Hebrew: חוטרא) - an Aramic word for "stick".

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at MAPATS and the edit history here.