The Kornet (Russian: "Корнет"; English: Cornet) is a Russian anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). It is intended to deal with main battle tanks and to engage slow and low flying helicopters, but it is not intended to fully replace previous systems, due to the cost.[3] The missile carries the GRAU designation 9M133 and the NATO reporting name AT-14 Spriggan.[4] Development[edit] The Kornet anti-tank missile was unveiled in October 1994 by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau.[4] The missile started development in 1988 as a modular, universal system able to engage any target from a mix of platforms using a reliable laser beam guidance system that was simple to use. It is a heavy ATGM, superior to the earlier 9K111 Fagot (NATO: AT-4 Spigot) and 9K113 Konkurs (NATO: AT-5 Spandrel) wire-guided ATGMs, but not to replace them (due to the cost).[5] The missile is believed to have entered service in the Russian army in 1994.[6] Its export designation is the Kornet-E.[3] Description[edit] The Kornet Anti Tank Missile system is an advanced ATGM with spiral trajectory. The 9M133 missile together with its 9P163-1 tripod launcher and 1PN79-1 thermal sight forms the 9K135 missile system,[7] the 9K135 can be carried and operated by a two-person infantry crew. In addition to an infantry portable version, the 9K133 the system has been integrated into a variety of other vehicles and weapons systems as either an upgrade package or a new weapon system. The 9K133 has been fitted into a BMP-3 to form the 9P163M-1 tank destroyer and is similar in function to the Khrizantema missile system. The 9P163M-1 carries two 9M133 missiles on launch rails, which are extended from a stowed position during transit. Missile are re-loaded automatically by the tank destroyer from an internal magazine with 16 rounds (missiles are stored and transported in sealed canisters).[8] NBC protection is provided for the two crew (gunner and driver) of each 9P163M-1 in addition to full armour protection equivalent to the standard BMP-3 chassis. The guidance system of the 9P163M-1 allows two missiles to be fired at once, the missiles operating on different guidance (laser) channels. The KBP Instrument Design Bureau has also marketed the 9K133 system as part of the Kvartet for mounting on vehicles and boats, the system has four missiles on ready to launch rails along with associated guidance and sighting system all packaged in a single turret. The turret has space for an additional five rounds and is operated by a single individual, the guidance system also allows two missiles to be fired at once.[9] Another upgrade possibility is the Kliver missile and gun turret, seen as an upgrade option for the BTR series of APC, BMP-1 IFV and patrol boats. It has similar capabilities as the Kvartet turret, but also carries a 30 mm 2A72 cannon; the turret weight is 1,500 kg.[10] Finally the 9M133 is also available in the BEREZHOK turret upgrade also made available by KBP.[11] The Kornet-EM variant uses technical vision with an automatic target tracker to make it a "fire and forget" missile, giving it a 5-times increase in accuracy of target tracking at any range. The fire and forget capability gives a vehicle the ability to salvo launch against two different targets at once, increasing its rate of fire and decreasing the number of vehicles needed for a mission. It can also salvo fire two missiles against one target to defeat vehicles equipped with an active protection system.[12] Combat history[edit] During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Kornets were used by some groups of Iraqi special forces to attack American armoured vehicles, "disabling at least two Abrams tanks and one Bradley armored troop carrier in the opening week of the war".[13] The second verified episode of the Kornet ATGM in combat use occurred during the 2006 Lebanon War, where the missiles, reportedly supplied by Syria, were successfully used by Hezbollah fighters to destroy up to four Israeli Merkava tanks, and damage a number of others.[14] One of the first detailed accounts of IDF's successful capture of Kornet ATGMs on Hezbollah positions in the village of Ghandouriyeh appeared in the Daily Telegraph article, which also reported that the boxes were marked with "Customer: Ministry of Defense of Syria. Supplier: KBP, Tula, Russia".[15] Several months after the cease-fire, reports have provided sufficient photographic evidence that Kornet ATGMs were indeed both in possession of, and used by, Hezbollah in this area.[16][17][18] Israel claims that Russian weapons were smuggled to Hezbollah by Syria, and Israel has sent a team of officials to Moscow to show Russia the evidence of what they say can only be Syrian weapons transfers.[19] Despite initial public denials by the Russian officials that any proof of actual use of Kornet by Hezbollah has been presented,[20][21] the Russian government in fact has moved to tighten control over the use of Russian-made weapons by the importing states,

• published: 19 Sep 2014
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