SS.11
| SS.11 | |
|---|---|
 SS.11 at the US Army Redstone testing ground | |
| Type | MCLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile |
| Place of origin | France |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Nord Aviation |
| Designed | 1953 |
| Produced | 1956 - mid 1980s |
| No. built | 180,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 30 kg |
| Length | 1190 mm |
| Diameter | 165 mm |
| Wingspan | 500 mm |
| Effective firing range | 500 m to 3,000 m |
| Warhead | Type 140AC anti-armour |
| Warhead weight | 6.8 kg |
| Maximum speed | 190 m/s |
Guidance system | MCLOS |
SS.11 is the designation of the Nord Aviation MCLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile. In American service the missile was designated the AGM-22. The missile entered service with the French army in 1956. Production of the missile ceased some time in the 1980s after 180,000 missiles had been produced.
Development
Development of an improved version of the SS.10 (Nord-5203) began in 1953 as the Nord-5210. The missile was intended as a heavy version of the SS.10 for use from vehicles, ships and helicopters. The missile entered service with the French army under the designation SS.11. It was used as the first helicopter-mounted (on Alouette IIs) anti-tank missile worldwide.[1]
The later B model of the missile replaces some of the original electronics with solid state components. The transistorisation was rewarded by improved handling, which allowed the missile pilots to overcorrect less.[1]
History
After the cancellation of the SSM-A-23 Dart in 1958 the United States began evaluating the SS.11, and accepted it into service in 1961 as the AGM-22A. The missile was deployed from UH-1B Huey helicopters using either the XM11 or M22 armament subsystems.
The missile was used in combat for the first time in 1966 during the Vietnam War. The missile was phased out by 1976, having been replaced by the BGM-71 TOW. The British Royal Air Force fired at least four of the missiles in the Falklands War against an Argentine battery of 105mm guns, during the Battle of Wireless Ridge, with little apparent success. [citation needed]
Due to the manual nature of the guidance, performance of the missile was poor—requiring a highly trained operator—see MCLOS.
Description
A variety of warheads are available for the missile:[1]
- 140AC hollow-charge - 600 mm versus RHA
- 140AP02 blast-fragmentation - 10 mm steel plate
- 140AP59 anti personnel
- 140CCN anti-shipping
On launch the rocket booster fired for 1.2 seconds, after which the sustainer engine fires for 20 seconds.
In flight the missile is steered by the vectoring of thrust from the engine. Since the missile spins in flight, a gyroscope is needed to determine the missiles relative orientation to the ground. This is very similar to the system used on AT-3 Sagger.
Models
- SS.11 / AGM-22 - Surface-to-surface wire-guided anti-tank missile.
- SS.11A1 XAGM-22A
- SS.11B1 XAGM-22B
- SS.11B1 (training) XATM-22B
- SS.11M - Maritime surface-to-surface wire-guided anti-ship missile.
Operators
Abu Dhabi
Argentina
Bahrain
Belgium
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Denmark
Ethiopia
Finland- SS 11 B 1, known as "Rannikko-ohjus 63", or "RO-63".
France
Germany
Greece
India
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Lebanon
Libya
Malaysia
Netherlands
Norway
Peru
Portugal
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
South Africa
Spain- Aboard Army Alouette III and Navy SH-3/AB-212ASW helicopters
Sweden
Switzerland
Tunisia
Turkey
United Kingdom
Uganda
United States
Venezuela
- Please note that this list is not complete.
See also
References
- http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/ss11.htm
- http://waronline.org/IDF/Articles/firstATGM.htm Template:Ru icon
- http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-22.html
- Michael J.H. Taylor (1980). Missile's of the World. Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN 0684165937.