Infantry weapons / Anti-tank missiles / 9K113 Konkurs
9K113 Konkurs
General Facts
- TYPE
Anti-tank guided weapon - ORIGIN
USSR
- NICKNAMES
AT-5 Spandrel - NATO reporting name
PstOhj 82M - Finnish designation
Towsan - Iranian production - DESIGNED
Late 1960's - DESIGNER
KBP Instrument Design Bureau - PRODUCTION
1974 - present - PRODUCERS
Bulgaria - Vazov
India - Bharat Dynamics
Iran - DIO
Russia - Tsniitochmash
Slovenia - Konstrukta
Slovenia - ZVS
USSR - Tsniitochmash
- QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
USD 115.000 for 9P135 launcher in 1992
USD 13.000 for 9M113 missile in 1992 - CHARACTERISTICS
Good range
Good penetration
Expensive
Introduction
The 9K113 Konkurs is an anti-tank missile of Soviet origin. It was developed at the same time as the smaller 9K111 Fagot and features a similar design. The 9K113 uses a larger and longer missile that is much more powerful and has twice the range of the smaller 9M111. The French HOT and US TOW missiles have a roughly similar performance as the 9K113.
Design
The 9K113 can be considered the larger brother of the 9K111 system. The missile design and guidance are similar and only the size, range and performance differ. The 9M113 missile is transported in and launched from a container. The missile has a booster charge and sustainer rocket motor. Four small vanes at the front and four large wings in the middle provide stability during launch. The 9M113 is wire guided and features SACLOS guidance. The 9P135 lightweight tripod launcher includes an optical sight system and computing mechanism. The same launcher can be used with the smaller and shorter range 9M111 Konkurs missile.
Firepower
The 9K113 can be used to take out any armored vehicle, but the frontal armor of modern tanks may still pose a problem. The penetration is 750 to 800mm RHA and the improved missile can also negate the effect of ERA. The maximum range is 4 km and 2.5 km with a night sight. If not obscured by smoke the SACLOS guidedance system ensures a good chance to hit the target, even when the target is moving.
Mobility
The 9K113 is a mobile system. The tripod launcher with a missile ready to fire weighs less than 40 kg. When the load is divided over multiple persons the 9K113 may even be transported over long distances by infantry. While the 9M113 missiles are heavier and often a large night vision sight is used the 9K113 is less mobile than the 9K111 Fagot. Therefore th 9K113 manpack launcher is normally transported by vehicle. The 9K113 launcher has also been pintle mounted on various armored vehicles. The most notable vehicle applications are the 9P148 tank destroyer based on the BRDM-2 and BMP-2 mechanized infantry combat vehicle.
Users
The 9K113 was widely used by the USSR and most Eastern European nations during the Cold War. The 9K113 was also widely exported, but not the extent of the earlier 9K11 Malyutka system. The 9K113 remains in use and production and is expected to remain in use even though more modern systems such as the 9P133 Kornet are available.
9P135 launcher
The 9P135 is the tripod launcher associated with the 9K113 system. The original 9P135 can only fire the 9M111 Fagot missile. The later 9P135M, M1, M2 and M3 are used with both 9M113 Konkurs and 9M111 Fagot missiles. When used with the 9M113 missile additional click-on night vision optics are more common than with the 9M111. The launcher can also be pintle mounted on armored vehicles.
- Specifications:
- 9P135
Type | Anti-tank missile launcher |
---|---|
Crew | ? |
Caliber | 120 mm (9M111), 135 mm (9M113) |
Length | 1.1 m tube (9M111), 1.26 m (9M113) |
Width | ? |
Height | ? |
---|---|
Weight | 22.5 kg for 9P135, 23.5 kg for 9P135M3 |
Sights | Optical |
Ammunition | 9M111 or 9M113 missiles |
Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
Velocity | About 200 m/s |
---|---|
Range | |
Penetration | Depends on missile used |
Remarks | - |
9M113 missile
The 9K113 system fires the 9M113 Konkurs missile that is fitted with the 9N131 HEAT warhead for a penetration of 750 to 800mm RHA. The improved 9M113M Konkurs-M. The improvement is a standoff probe with secondary charge for penetrating ERA, otherwise the level penetration remains similar. The 9M113 has the NATO designation AT-5A Spandrel A and the 9M113M is known as the AT-5B Spandrel B.
Type | Anti-tank missile |
---|---|
Diameter | 135 mm body, 468 mm wingspan |
Length | ? |
Weight | ? |
Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
---|---|
Warhead | HEAT, penetration 750 - 800 mm RHA |
Propulsion | Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor plus booster |
Speed | ? |
Range | 75 m to 4.0 km |
---|---|
Altitude | - |
Engagement envelope | - |
Remarks | Launch container is 1.26 m long |
Type | Anti-tank missile |
---|---|
Diameter | 135 mm body, 468 mm wingspan |
Length | 1.15 m |
Weight | 14.58 kg |
Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
---|---|
Warhead | Tandem HEAT, 2.7 kg, penetration 750 - 800 mm RHA behind ERA |
Propulsion | Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor plus booster |
Speed | 270 m/s maximum, 206 m/s average |
Range | 75 m to 4.0 km |
---|---|
Altitude | - |
Engagement envelope | - |
Remarks | Launch container is 1.26 m long and weighs 26.5 kg |