The Milan anti-tank missile complex (Missile d’lnfanterie Leger Anti-Char – light anti-tank infantry missile) was adopted by the armies of France and Germany in 1972. This ATGM is still considered one of the best Western second-generation portable human missile systems for wireline guidance. About this in the Building Tech article.

It can destroy the Milan-2, Leopard-2 and Abrams tanks. As is known, the resistance of the front armor parts of the Leopard-2 tank is equivalent to approximately 850 mm of standard homogeneous armor. Although the armor penetration of the Milan-2 missile is at least 1000 mm (the first modification of the missile could hit tanks with an armor thickness of about 800 mm), this is enough to reliably defeat both the main units and the crew inside the tank. .

Milan-2 ATGM has been in service with ground armies in more than 40 countries around the world since 1984. Especially Australia, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Singapore, Turkey, Uruguay, Croatia, Estonia. It is also used in infantry and armored units in portable and self-propelled versions in the armies of France, Great Britain, India, Australia, Mexico and Germany.

The Milan-2 anti-tank missile system has a factory-packaged projectile rocket in a disposable launch tube container and a reusable launcher on a tripod. The setup includes a control panel, a sighting device, an electronic unit and a power supply. It can be mounted both on the ground and on light vehicles.

The anti-tank guided missile is equipped with a body made of light alloys, in which powder-start and cruise engines and a cumulative warhead are placed. It is placed in a hermetically sealed, waterproof launch tube container. The control system is semi-automatic with infrared missile tracking equipment (infrared tracer radiation) and command transmission from wires.

The shot is made in a prone or kneeling position, and during a short-range shot – standing. After pressing the trigger, the starter motor in the tube activates the rocket. At the same time, TPK is thrown back as a counterweight, extinguishing a significant part of the recoil and jet. When leaving the barrel, the stabilizers of the missile are opened. After moving to a safe distance for the operator (approximately 3 m), the cruise engine, with a charge of the missile for 11 seconds, accelerates it to 200 m/s and directs the flight to the target, which lasts approximately. 13 seconds at max range. 2000 meters.

During flight, the missile automatically rises approximately 0.5 m above the line of sight to avoid possible obstacles. The warhead detonates even at narrow angles (up to 10°) to the target. The sighting device has a detection and aiming system and an infrared meter of the angular deviation of the missile from the line of sight.

The main sight for the Milan-2 ATGM is a daytime optical sight with 7x magnification. In addition, a set of thermal imaging sights is used, which allows launching at night or in conditions of poor visibility. This type of main sight is the Thales MIRA with a maximum target detection range of 4 km and a recognition range of 2 km.