Infantry weapons / Anti-tank missiles / Dragon
Dragon
General Facts
- TYPE
Anti-tank guided weapon - ORIGIN
United States - NICKNAMES
M47 (US military designation)
FGM-77 (development designation)
Saeghe (Iranian production) - DESIGNED
Late 1960's - DESIGNER
McDonnell Douglas - PRODUCTION
1973 - 1981 (McDonnell Douglas) - PRODUCERS
Iran - DIO
United States - General Dynamics
United States - McDonnell Douglas - QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Limited size and weight
Reusable sight unit
Limited range
Loud firing signature
Introduction
The Dragon is an anti-tank missile of US origin. It was developed by McDonnell Douglas in the late 1960's as a man portable short range guided anti-tank weapon. The Dragon remains in production, even though it is considered obsolete by todays standards.
Design
The Dragon is a man portable, wire guided anti-tank missile. The Dragon missile is fin stabilized and encased in a fiberglass tube that doubles as launch tube. A large styrofoam cover at each end protects the launch tube and missile. A simple bipod is attached to the launch tube or an adaptor for a tripod can be used. An optical day or night sight is used that doubles as a command unit for the SACLOS guidance. The sight unit is removed for future use when the missile is fired. The launch tube is discarded.
Firepower
All versions of the Dragon feature a HEAT warhead. The early version only penetrated 330mm RHA. The improved models will penetrate over 600mm RHA. The Dragon has a maximum range of 1 km and an effective range against moving vehicles of 100 m. The Superdragon has a maximum range of 2 km and much higher velocity.
Users
The first and main user of the Dragon has been us the US army and marine corps. Additionally it was exported to various nations, mostly in Europe. Several nations replaced the Dragon by newer designs such as Spike and Javelin. Unlicenced copies are produced in Iran.
Dragon launcher
The Dragon is a short range wire guided anti-tank weapon. The improved Dragon II is fitted with a much improved warhead. The latest model is the Superdragon, which was known as the Dragon II+ at first. The Superdragon has twice the range as the earlier versions and features a standoff probe with small charge to defeat ERA. In Iran a reverse engineered Dragon is produced under the names Saeghe 1 and 2. The Saeghe 1 looks similar to the Dragon and Saeghe 2 like the Superdragon.
- Specifications:
- Dragon
- Dragon II
- Superdragon
| Type | Anti-tank missile |
|---|---|
| Crew | ? |
| Caliber | 140 mm |
| Length | 1.154 mm tube |
| Width | 292 mm |
| Height | ? |
|---|---|
| Weight | 14 kg with day sight, 20.7 kg with night sight |
| Sights | Optical, 6x scope |
| Ammunition | Dragon missile with HEAT warhead |
| Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
| Velocity | ? |
|---|---|
| Range | |
| Penetration | 330 mm RHA, 1.2 m concrete, 2.4 m earth |
| Remarks | - |
| Type | Anti-tank missile |
|---|---|
| Crew | ? |
| Caliber | 140 mm |
| Length | 1.154 mm tube |
| Width | 292 mm |
| Height | ? |
|---|---|
| Weight | 15.4 kg with day sight, 22.1 kg with night sight |
| Sights | Optical, 6x scope |
| Ammunition | Dragon II missile with HEAT warhead |
| Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
| Velocity | ? |
|---|---|
| Range | |
| Penetration | 610 mm RHA |
| Remarks | - |
| Type | Anti-tank missile |
|---|---|
| Crew | ? |
| Caliber | 140 mm |
| Length | 1.154 mm tube |
| Width | 292 mm |
| Height | ? |
|---|---|
| Weight | 17.9 kg with day sight, 24.6 kg with night sight |
| Sights | Optical, 6x scope |
| Ammunition | Superdragon missile with HEAT warhead |
| Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
| Velocity | ? |
|---|---|
| Range | |
| Penetration | 650 mm RHA behind ERA |
| Remarks | - |
Dragon missile
The Dragon launch canisters are loaded with a missile with the same name. The Dragon is also known as the M222 with the US Army and the Mk 1 MOD 0 with the US marine corps. The M223 is the inert training round. The Dragon II warhead has been refitted to USMC Dragons. The Superdragon was never adopted by the US military and therefore has no US military designation.
- Specifications:
- Dragon
- Dragon II
- Superdragon
- Dragon (inert)
| Type | Anti-tank missile |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 127 mm body |
| Length | 744 mm |
| Weight | 11.47 kg |
| Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
|---|---|
| Warhead | HEAT, penetration 330 mm RHA |
| Propulsion | Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor |
| Speed | 89 m/s |
| Range | 65 m to 1 km |
|---|---|
| Altitude | - |
| Engagement envelope | - |
| Remarks | - |
| Type | Anti-tank missile |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 127 mm body |
| Length | 846 mm |
| Weight | 12.34 kg |
| Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
|---|---|
| Warhead | HEAT, penetration 610 mm RHA |
| Propulsion | Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor |
| Speed | 89 m/s |
| Range | 65 m to 1 km |
|---|---|
| Altitude | - |
| Engagement envelope | - |
| Remarks | - |
| Type | Training missile |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 127 mm body |
| Length | 846 mm |
| Weight | 4.70 kg |
| Guidance | SACLOS, wire guided |
|---|---|
| Warhead | Inert, no warhead |
| Propulsion | Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor |
| Speed | 89 m/s |
| Range | 1 km |
|---|---|
| Altitude | - |
| Engagement envelope | - |
| Remarks | - |