Matador (anti-tank weapon)

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MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank Anti-DOoR)
MATADOR Stand.jpg
general information
Country of operation: see user states
Developer / Manufacturer: Dynamit Nobel Defense GmbH
Model variants: see variants
Weapon Category: Panzerfaust
Furnishing
Overall length: 1000 mm
Weight: (unloaded) (AS) 10 kg, (WB) 13 kg, (MP) 11.3 kg
Technical specifications
Caliber : 90 mm
Mounting system: Picatinny rail
Lists on the subject

MATADOR ( English M an-portable A nti- T ank, A nti- DO o R ) is a recoilless anti-tank hand weapon . Development began in 2000 as a further development of the light Panzerfaust crossbow . The manufacturer Dynamit Nobel Defense (DND) calls the Matador RGW 90 ( English recoilless grenade weapon , recoilless grenade weapon ).

Background and development

After the end of the Cold War , the role of anti-tank systems in the procurement of heavy hand weapon systems declined. Instead, weapons that could hold down opponents and fight behind cover and which can be adjusted according to these capabilities gained in importance - especially due to the increased asymmetrical warfare . Furthermore, it should be possible to fight targets at a distance of more than 1000 meters, which until then was only possible with relatively heavy guided missiles that could be operated by several soldiers . These guided missiles also have a considerable retroreflective zone, which makes it difficult to use them from inside rooms, and the shaped charges mostly used have only a minor effect on buildings and fortifications, as they have been optimized for high punctual penetration, such as the front of a battle tank . Another point of criticism was the high costs, especially with " Fire-and-Forget " guided weapons.

A light, long-range weapon that could be operated by a soldier and that could be equipped with various warheads was therefore required.

The Singapore Armed Forces (Singapore Armed Forces, SAF) and the Defense Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) developed the Matador with Dynamit Nobel Defense, a German subsidiary of the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems .

technology

The Matador is one of the lightest weapons in its class. The warhead is effective against vehicle armor and soft targets as well as masonry. The weapon only has a low heat effect to the rear, which enables it to be used in confined spaces. It is said to be able to penetrate the armor of armored vehicles and light main battle tanks . In deceleration mode, the warhead can break into masonry that is stronger than a double wall. This allows in -house fighting a new type of access to be created.

The projectile is largely insensitive to wind due to the continuously burning cruise engine.

Warhead

The warhead is depending on the version of the Matador both high-explosive anti-tank warhead (HEAT) on shaped charge base against armored targets and mode Quetschkopfgeschoss executed (High Explosive Squash Head / HESH) against fortifications. In some versions, a spacer tube is pulled out to set the HEAT mode.

Target facility

In order to achieve the required combat range of 1200 meters with a high first hit probability of the warhead, the Dynahawk fire control visor was installed in the RGW 90, which has extensive sensors and records the angle of inclination, tilt angle, target distance, target movement and ammunition temperature. The target data is transmitted to the warhead through the built-in optics and a laser range finder. The dynahawk is the only part of the weapon that is reused.

Recoil free

Comparison of the crossbow (above) with the Matador (below)

Similar to the crossbow anti-tank weapon , the recoil is reduced by a counterweight. The counterweight is made of shredded plastic that is ejected from the rear of the weapon when fired. This ball of plastic is quickly slowed down by the air resistance so that the weapon can be shot in confined spaces (from 15 m³). Furthermore, the plastic ball balances the center of gravity.

variants

Israel Defense Forces soldier with matador

Dynamit Nobel Defense developed other variants primarily as anti-material weapons for urban warfare.

RGW 90 LRMP / "Active agent 90"

The LRMP ( English L ong R ange M ulti- P urpose , German  about multi-purpose with long range ) - also referred to by DND as “active agent 90” - offers the greatest range of the Matador family with a multi-purpose warhead. It can be used at distances of 20 to 1200 m. The high-explosive warhead is coated with pre-formed fragments. With it, unarmored and lightly armored targets can be fought not only in direct, but also in indirect shot when the target is behind cover. For this purpose, the distance to the target is measured before the shot and the programmable warhead is detonated above the target.

Matador-MP / -HH

The Matador-MP ( English M ulti- P urpose , German  multi-purpose ) or Matador-HH ( H EAT / H ESH) is a multi-purpose weapon with a warhead that can target a variety of ground targets, from lightly armored vehicles to fortified positions and walls , can destroy. The warhead automatically detects whether it is a "hard" or "soft" target and adjusts itself accordingly. A target acquisition aid, which enables a high first hit probability and includes a reflex sight and laser rangefinder , can be attached to a Picatinny rail on the weapon. The minimum combat distance is 14 m, the effective range is 500 m.

Matador-WB

The Matador-WB ( English W all- B reaching , German  wall-breaking ) is a specialized weapon that can punch a man-sized hole in a house wall. This is achieved by pre-perforating the masonry with an explosively shaped ring of particles and then the overpressure of the charge pushes out the section of wall. The minimum combat distance is 20 m, the effective range is 120 m.

Matador-AS

With a tandem warhead in two modes, the Matador AS can ( english A NTI S tructure , German  anti-structure ) can be used. The summons will tear a smaller opening in the structure (e.g. a wall). In Mousehole mode , the supplementary charge explodes in this opening and rips a large opening through which a soldier can then enter the building. In blast mode , the additional charge only explodes inside the building. Lightly armored vehicles can also be destroyed with the Matador-AS. This version is to be ordered from the United States Marine Corps . The minimum combat distance is 10 m, the effective range is 400 m.

More active bodies

Another active body is an infrared-impermeable camouflage fog , which can be used to deflect the enemy and to mark targets, a battlefield lighting in the infrared range, which can only be seen with the appropriate night vision device , and for the purpose of training and for warning shots with lightning and pop effects Available.

RGW 60

Another weapon family was developed as a lighter version based on the 60 mm caliber known from the Panzerfaust 3. Due to the adaptation of the warhead caliber to the pipe caliber, it became possible to retract the warhead into the pipe, which reduced the weight to 6 kg and the length to 900 mm. The properties and combination options are comparable to the RGW 90. The fighting distance is between 15 and 300 m. Available versions are the RGW 60 HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank) with shaped charge warhead, the RGW 60 HEAT-MP (Multi Purpose), which can also be used against partially hardened positions, and the RGW 60 HESH (High Explosive Squash Head), which has structural targets how masonry can fight down to smaller bunkers.

commitment

Matador (above) and SIMON (below), both can be used to open doors in the context of local and house warfare

The Matador-WB was first used by the Israel Defense Forces in January 2009 as part of Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip .

distribution

See also

Web links

Commons : MATADOR  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b RGW 90-Series. Dynamit Nobel Defense, accessed October 9, 2014 .
  2. ↑ a b c Thomas Meuter: Dynamit Nobel Defense (DND) presents the RGW 90 1,200 meters with DYNAHAWK. Weapon far-reaching, precise and powerful. Hardthöhenkurier , p. 44ff , archived from the original on October 13, 2014 ; accessed on August 22, 2014 (edition 03/2012).
  3. ↑ a b c d e Factsheet - MATADOR: Unguided Short Range Anti-Armor Weapon (SRAAW). Singapore Ministry of Defense, June 15, 2005, accessed October 9, 2014 .
  4. ↑ a b MATADOR MP. Shoulder Launched Multi-Purpose Ammunition. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, 2010, accessed November 18, 2012 .
  5. ↑ Active agent 90.Dynamit Nobel, accessed on November 13, 2014 .
  6. ↑ RGW 90 LRMP. Dynamit Nobel, accessed November 13, 2014 .
  7. ^ Brigadier General Erich Heinrich Könen : Selected tried and tested and new weapon systems for use - Department K in profile , in: Modern Armed Forces / BAAINBw , ISBN 978-3-934401-31-0
  8. ↑ a b c Matador (PZF-90) Family. (PDF, 457 kB) Shoulder Launched Breaching Munitions. (No longer available online.) Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd January 16, 2008, archived from the original on December 24, 2012 ; accessed on October 9, 2014 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.rafael.co.il
  9. ↑ RGW 90 WB (Wall Breacher). Dynamit Nobel Defense, accessed October 9, 2014 .
  10. ^ Brigadier General Erich Heinrich Könen : Selected tried and tested and new weapon systems for use - Department K in profile , in: Modern Armed Forces / BAAINBw , ISBN 978-3-934401-31-0
  11. ↑ RGW 90 AS. Dynamit Nobel Defense, accessed October 9, 2014 .
  12. ↑ Dynamit Nobel selected in February 2006 to develop, supply and support the ASM. Armada International, August 1, 2007, accessed August 17, 2014 .
  13. ^ RGW 60 weapon family from DND. Dynamit Nobel, accessed August 22, 2014 .
  14. ^ Wall-Breaching Weapon Debuts. Defense Technology International, February 1, 2009; archived from the original on March 4, 2009 ; accessed on August 17, 2014 .
  15. ↑ The new weapon for home use. Eyes straight, Retrieved November 18, 2012 .
  16. ^ Israel unleashed Bulls and Matadors on Gaza. Aviation Week, February 23, 2009, accessed June 25, 2010 .
  17. ↑ Shoulder launch: more than ever, light, shoulder-launched weapons are proving their worth in built-up areas. However, a number of them are being optimized to enable the soldier on foot to deal with constructions rather than armor. They now include wall breakers, door smashers and high-pressure generators. thefreelibrary.com, October 1, 2009, accessed November 18, 2012 .
  18. ↑ communications VBS: Armament Program 2016. In: vbs.admin.ch. Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), archived from the original on July 1, 2016 ; accessed on July 1, 2016 .
  19. ↑ MATADOR - Unguided Short Range Anti-Armor Weapon - Home. Mindef.gov.sg, archived from the original on September 21, 2013 ; accessed on November 18, 2012 .
  20. ↑ Nova ročna artilerija SV. (PDF) raketomet RGW 90. In: Revija Slovenska Vojska No. 9. Slovenian Ministry of Defense, May 30, 2008, pp. 10–11 , accessed on August 21, 2014 (Slovenian).
  21. ^ Slovenian combat units start training with Comecon-90s. In: Jane's Missiles and Rockets. Jane's , July 2, 2008, accessed November 18, 2012 .
  22. ^ New weapons of Vietnam Army. Retrieved August 17, 2014 (Vietnamese).