HOT (Haut
subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé - High Subsonic Optical Guided) is an
anti-tank missile system developed by Euromissile (now MBDA), a joint
venture of France and Germany, and produced since 1978.
It has
become one of the most successful missiles of its class, used by no
fewer than a dozen countries worldwide and has been validated in
actual combat.
HOT uses the same principles for its operation as its American
counterpart, the TOW missile: tube-launched, optically tracked, and
guided through a trailing wire. The missile system is also commonly
mounted on vehicles, and a version exists that can be launched from
combat helicopters.
The HOT-2, introduced in 1986, features a larger warhead and a maximum
range of 4 kilometres with speeds of up to 900 kmh.
The newest version, HOT-3, has a tandem shaped-charge HEAT warhead as
well as improved anti-jamming capabilities. In 1997, HOT-3 was
selected to be the base-line and low-cost missile armament of the
Tiger attack helicopter for France and Germany at least until the PARS
3 LR becomes available.
HOT Specifications |
Type |
SACLOS
wire-guided Anti-tank missile |
Manufacturer |
Euromissile |
Weight |
24kg |
Warhead |
6.5kg tandem shaped charge can penetrate up to 1300mm
armour |
Length |
1.3m |
Diameter |
0.15m |
Wingspan |
0.31m |
Performance |
Range 75m – 4km, guidance
wire guided SACLOS |