AT-5 (Spandrel) / 9M113 (Contest)

History of the AT-5 (Spandrel) / 9M113 (Competition)

The AT-5, also known as "Spandrel," is a wire-guided anti-tank missile system developed in 1962 and mass-produced by the Tula Mechanical Design Bureau. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1974 and is still in use today. This missile system is similar to the AT-4 "Spigot," and they share technology, making it possible for the AT-5 missile to be used with the AT-4 launcher.

The AT-5 missile weighs 32 pounds and is equipped with a tandem HEAT warhead designed to penetrate armored targets. It is propelled by an internal solid-fuel rocket motor, providing a maximum range of about 2.5 miles and a minimum effective range of around 230 feet. The missile is wire-guided, and its guidance system relies on the operator's line of sight to the target. It can be launched from both hand-held and vehicle-mounted launchers, each having its advantages.

Various countries, including Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Indonesia, India, Iran, Poland, Turkey, Syria, and Ukraine, have adopted the AT-5 missile system for its armor-piercing capabilities. Iran even produced its version, the Towsan-1/M113, which may have been supplied to groups like Hezbollah. The actual effectiveness of these missiles in combat remains uncertain, with reports of other anti-tank systems entering conflicts through Syria, according to Israeli sources.

Specification

BASIC

Years of Service: 1974

Origins: Soviet Union

Categories: SACLOS (WGATM) wire-guided anti-tank missile

Manufacturer: Tula Mechanical Design Bureau (Tula KBP) USSR/Russia

Operators: Egypt; Bulgaria; Croatia; Czechoslovakia; Czech Republic; Finland; Georgia; Hungary; Indonesia; India; Iran; Iraq; Morocco; Moldova; Northern Cyprus; North Korea; Peru ;Poland;Romania;Slovakia;Former Soviet Union;Turkey;Syria;Ukraine;United States

Anti-Tank/Anti-Tank/Anti-Material: Designed for long-range engagement and defeating armored/enemy tanks.

Dimensions and Weight

Overall Length: 1,150 mm (45.28 inches)

Barrel length: 875mm (34. 45 inches)

Cured weight: 32.19 lbs (14.60 kg)

Cartridges and Paper Feeds

Caliber: 135mm

Circle/Feed: Single Shot

POWER

Maximum efficiency: 14,107 feet (4,300 m | 4,702 m)

Rate of fire: 1 Number of revolutions

VARIANTS

AT-5A "Spandrel-A"/9M113 (Broken) - Improved.

AT-5B "Spandrel-B" / 9M113M (Konkurs-M) Tandem warhead with extended probe.