The Chū-MAT is a Japanese
laser guided
Laser guidance directs a robotics system to a target position by means of a laser beam. The laser guidance of a robot is accomplished by projecting a laser light, image processing and communication to improve the accuracy of guidance. The key ide ...
anti-tank missile
An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a Missile guidance, guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy Armoured fighting vehicle, heavily armored military v ...
in service with the
Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
. Intended as a front-line replacement for the
Type 64 MAT
The is a Japanese wire-guided anti-tank missile developed during the late 1950s. The missile is a broadly similar to the Swiss/German Cobra and the 9M14 Malyutka. Within the JGSDF, it is also known as 64MAT and KAM-3.
History
Development of ...
, it has entered into service alongside the
SACLOS
Semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) is a method of missile command guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight. Electronics in the sighting device and/or th ...
guided
Type 79 Jyu-MAT
The is a Japanese SACLOS guided anti-tank missile that entered service with the JGSDF in 1984. It was initially issued to coastal defence units, intended to destroy troop and vehicle landing ships as they approached the shoreline. It is also kno ...
.
History
Development of the system began in 1976, missile trials were conducted in 1982, and a complete prototype system delivered in 1985.
The first units entered service with the
JGSDF
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
in 1989.
The system consists of a launcher, and a laser designator mounted on a heavy tripod.
Description
The unit is situated on a tripod unit with the missile launcher and laser designator on it. The designator and launcher can be separated from each other by up to 200 meters, or can be mounted together on the same tripod, although Jane's notes that the exhaust gas from the missile may interrupt the designator laser.
Like the
Type 64 MAT
The is a Japanese wire-guided anti-tank missile developed during the late 1950s. The missile is a broadly similar to the Swiss/German Cobra and the 9M14 Malyutka. Within the JGSDF, it is also known as 64MAT and KAM-3.
History
Development of ...
and the
Type 79 Jyu-MAT
The is a Japanese SACLOS guided anti-tank missile that entered service with the JGSDF in 1984. It was initially issued to coastal defence units, intended to destroy troop and vehicle landing ships as they approached the shoreline. It is also kno ...
, it can be mounted onto a
Mitsubishi Type 73 jeep or the
Komatsu LAV
The is a Japanese military vehicle first produced in 2002. Currently used exclusively by the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF), it has seen use in the Iraq War. It is built by Komatsu Ltd. Defense Systems Division in Komatsu, Ishikawa, Japan. Koma ...
for anti-armor roles.
Future Plans
The
Defense Agency's ''Technical Research and Developmental Institute'' has begun conducting tests on a new
anti-tank missile
An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a Missile guidance, guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy Armoured fighting vehicle, heavily armored military v ...
that will eventually replace the Type 87 in front-line service. The project's code name is known in the JSDF as the Shin Chu-MAT.
Japanese Military Aircraft Designations (after 1945).
Retrieved on November 26, 2007.
See also
* Type 64 MAT
The is a Japanese wire-guided anti-tank missile developed during the late 1950s. The missile is a broadly similar to the Swiss/German Cobra and the 9M14 Malyutka. Within the JGSDF, it is also known as 64MAT and KAM-3.
History
Development of ...
* Type 79 Jyu-MAT
The is a Japanese SACLOS guided anti-tank missile that entered service with the JGSDF in 1984. It was initially issued to coastal defence units, intended to destroy troop and vehicle landing ships as they approached the shoreline. It is also kno ...
* Type 01 LMAT
The is a Japanese man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile. Development began in 1993 at Kawasaki Heavy Industries and was accepted into service in 2001. During development, the missile was designated with the codename XATM-5. Later it was ...
References
* ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo 1991,
External links
Official JGSDF Page
{{Japanese missiles
Anti-tank guided missiles of the Cold War
Post–Cold War anti-tank missiles of Japan
Military equipment introduced in the 1980s