Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has developed and tested a barrel-launched laser homing anti-tank weapon (LAHAT) which is being offered to the US military and Israeli Army to allow tanks to engage helicopters and armoured vehicles. The Israeli company has teamed with General Dynamics Ordnance Systems division in marketing the advanced anti-armour weapon worldwide.

The laser-designated LAHAT missile, which incorporates a tandem warhead, was designed by IAI's MBT division to be fired from 105mm and 120mm tank guns. IAI says the missile would be effective against armoured vehicles and slow-moving helicopters.

A tank crew would use standard rounds for line-of-sight targets and the LAHAT for top-attack of more distant targets in day/night engagements. The tank's laser rangefinder would be replaced with a laser designator. No modification to the tank's main gun would be required for missile firings.

IAI says it has successfully completed a flight test of the LAHAT against a stationary tank.

Production can begin once final engineering and manufacturing development work is completed, programme officials say. The US Army briefly deployed the Shillelagh tank-gun-fired missile on the Sheridan light tank with mixed results, and the Russian Army uses a radio-command anti-tank missile in its T-64 and T-80 tanks, known as the Kobra and which has an anti-helicopter variant.

Source: Flight International