9K115-2 Metis-M Russian ATGM

The 9K115-2 Metis-M is a Russian anti-tank missile system. "9K115-2" is the GRAU designation of the missile. Its NATO reporting name is AT-13 Saxhorn-2.

The system is designed to augment the combat power of company-level motorized units.

The 9K115-2 Metis-M system adds to the usual positive qualities of a grenade launcher with sharp improvements in range, accuracy and lethality. Owing to the small dimensions and light weight of its components, this manportable system can be carried by its crew in compact packs over any distance and over a wide variety of terrain types—including stream crossing. The three-man crew carries personal weapons and an ammunition load of five missiles. One crew member carries a pack with a missile-loaded launcher, which considerably reduces the time of fire preparation and allows the crew to engage targets whilst moving. In the event of sudden appearance of a target, the operator can fire from the shoulder with the launcher rested against a local object. Two other crew members carry packs with two missiles each.

Features

• changes from the traveling to the firing position—and vice versa—in 15 – 20 seconds;
• firing rate of 3 - 4 rounds per minute;
• fired from organized and deployed sites in the prone and standing foxhole positions as well as from combat vehicles;
• can be shipped by any type of transport and can be air-dropped.

The Metis-M system comprises:

• combat assets;
• maintenance facilities;
• training aids.

The combat assets of the Metis-M system include:

• 9M131 (9M131F) ATGM;
• 9P151 launcher;
• 1PBN86-VI thermal sight.

Guidance

The Metis-M ATGM system has a semi-automatic guidance system, with commands transmitted over a wire link. The guidance system is constructed so that the most sophisticated and costly components, such as a gyroscopic coordinator, electronic units and an onboard battery, are excluded from the missile.

Combat history

According to accounts by Israeli military, weapons seized from Hezbollah and journalists accounts from Lebanon, the Metis-M was used successfully by Hezbollah fighters during the 2006 Lebanon war against Merkava tanks. Russia released a press statement disputing the claim that it had been supplying modern anti-tank weapons to Hezbollah; the Israelis' original claim, however, was in fact that Russian weapons which were sold to Syria which in turn smuggled the weapons to Hezbollah. Israel has sent a team of officials to Moscow to show the Russians the evidence of what they say can only be Syrian weapons transfers. To date, Russia has not commented on the weapon proliferation, although it has moved to tighten control over the use of Russian-made weapons by the importing states.

Metis-M
Type	anti-tank missile
Place of origin	Russia
Service history
In service	1992
Production history
Manufacturer	KBP Instrument Design Bureau
Specifications
Weight	13.8 kg
Length	980 mm
Diameter	130 mm
Warhead	HEAT tandem warhead, Armor penetration behind ERA 950 mm. Thermobaric anti-personnel/anti-material warhead is also available.
Engine	solid-fuel rocket
Operational range	0.08 - 2 km
Speed	200 m/s
Guidance system	SACLOS wire