MGM-51 Shillelagh
| MGM-51 Shillelagh | |
|---|---|
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| General Information | |
| Type | Anti-tank guided missile |
| Local name | MGM-51 Shillelagh |
| Country of origin |
 United States
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| Manufacturer | ford |
| development | 1959 |
| Commissioning | 1966 |
| Technical specifications | |
| length | MGM-51A: 1.11 m. MGM-51B / C: 1.15 m |
| diameter | 152 mm |
| Combat weight | MGM-51A: 26.8 kg MGM-51B / C: 27.8 kg |
| span | 292 mm |
| drive | Solid rocket engine |
| speed | 320 m / s |
| Range | MGM-51A: 2,000 m MGM-51B / C: 3,000 m |
| Furnishing | |
| steering | SACLOS via IR |
| Warhead | 6.8 kg HEAT |
| Detonator | Impact fuse |
| Weapon platforms | M551 Sheridan , M60A2 tanks and MBT-70 |
| Lists on the subject | |
The MGM-51 Shillelagh was a anti-tank missile the time of the Cold War from American production, named after the Irish baton Shillelagh . The solid rocket for launching armored vehicles from the on-board cannon was developed for the United States Army by the Ford Motor Company from 1959 and produced until 1971.
Development and versions of the Shillelagh
In the 1950s, the US Army was looking for an anti-tank weapon that was better than conventional anti- tank guns. Armored targets should be able to be fought with different weapons at short, medium and long range. In 1959, Aeronutronic , a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, prevailed against competitor Sperry Corporation and was awarded the contract to develop a prototype for medium ranges under the name XM13 Shillelagh . The first start of a prototype took place in November 1960; in November 1961 the first guided versions were fired.
- XMGM-51A - Limited production of this version began in 1963. The training ammunition for this model was called XMTM-51A .
- MGM-51A - Under this designation, the Shillelagh became standard equipment in the US Army in May 1966. The associated training ammunition was the MTM-51A .
- (X) MGM-51B - Longer and heavier model with a range increased to about 3000 m; Training model MTM-51B .
- MGM-51C - In order to prevent the guided weapon from rotating around its longitudinal axis during flight, cannons for the Shillelagh had a guide groove into which a spring fitted along the missile. In 1964 it was found that this spring was responsible for cracks in the cannon barrels that appeared after a few hundred shots. Therefore, the spring was flattened from 3.3 to 1.9 mm. The modified missile was produced from January 1968 under the designation MGM-51C (training version MTM-51C ).
Advantages of the Shillelagh were the theoretically relatively high accuracy and the fact that it gave light tanks the effectiveness of battle tanks without having to equip them with a heavy cannon with high muzzle velocity . In fact, however, both the missile and the associated cannon proved to be unreliable; Also problematic were the very large minimum distance for use, the high purchase price compared to conventional tank shells and the fact that the missile had insufficient penetration against more modern tanks. The first Shillelagh were therefore decommissioned at the end of the 1970s and replaced by the superior BGM-71 TOW in the course of the following two decades .
functionality
The gunner fired the missile from the on-board cannon. As soon as the missile left the barrel, the solid fuel motor ignited and the stabilizing wings unfolded. During the flight, the gunner had to keep the crosshairs of his sight aimed at the target. Orbit corrections were relayed to the rocket via an infrared link. The route guidance system only worked from a minimum distance of 730 m to the destination; Targets that were closer to the tank could only be fought unguided.
Carrier systems
The Shillelagh was built primarily for use in the M551 Sheridan light tank , which typically carried eight missiles in addition to 20 conventional shells for the 152mm M81 cannon.
Because of numerous teething troubles with the right cannon, the intended use of the Shillelagh in the M60 main battle tank came late , but was abandoned after a short time.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Globalsecurity.org: Overview of missile weapons (engl.) (Consulted on October 7, 2019)