BAe Swingfire

     Notes: The Swingfire was an early ATGM development; it was developed in the mid-1960s, but proved to be very effective and served with the British Army until 2005, when it was replaced by the US-designed Javelin ATGM.  When fired from a modified Land Rover, it is also known as the Beeswing; when carried and fired from a helicopter it is also known as the Hawkswing; and when carried and fired from a small trailer of Argocat light cargo vehicle, it is also known as the Golfswing.  The Swingfire has seen service in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where it was primarily used as a bunker-buster.

     The name “Swingfire” comes from a unique deployment ability.  The operator can place the primary guidance module up to 50 meters away, and this primary guidance module may be pointed up to 90 degrees from the operator.  The operator has a radio link to his own primary sight, and when the Swingfire is fired, it can swerve up to 90 degrees to place the missile and target inside the sight module radius.  The Swingfire uses a simple box launcher, so the is a cold launch and the launch signature does not occur until the Swingfire has traveled 10 meters, at which point the main engine ignites.  Thus, finding the operator of a Swingfire can be a bit difficult, especially is the operator is camouflaged and the crew can pack up and leave after the missile is hits its target.  (Most Swingfire teams carried multiple primary guidance modules so that retrieving the original module is not as urgent).  Despite the large control surfaces, the Swingfire is actually controlled by thrust squibs. Detonation is by impact upon the target (or an accidental hit on something else).

     In the 1980s, the Swingfire received upgraded guidance systems, changing the Guidance and Difficulty below.  Explosives and warhead design improvements made the warhead more effective.  This advanced warhead became available in 1985.

Weapon

Weights

Missile Caliber

Guidance

Missile Speed

Prices

Swingfire (Early)

(Launcher) 6 kg; (Missile) 27 kg

170mm

MCLOS Wire

925

(Launcher) $2295; (Missile) $3009

Swingfire (Late)

(Launcher) 6 kg; (Missile) 27 kg

170mm

SACLOS Wire

925

(Launcher) $2695; (Missile) $1063

 

Weapon

Reload

Round

Min Range

Max Range

Damage

Pen

Difficulty

Swingfire (Early)

4

HEAT

150

4000

C29  B55

129C

AVG

Swingfire (Late)

4

HEAT

150

4000

C38  B60

197C

AVG

 

Vickers Vigilant

     Notes: One of the first developed man-portable ATGMs, the Vigilant began as a private development by Vickers in 1956, and began service with the British Army and to a more limited extent, the US Marine Corps, in the early 1960s.  In addition, Finland, Kuwait, Dubai, and Switzerland used the Vigilant during the same time period. The Vigilant, though effective for its time, had a short service like, as a greatly improved version of the Vigilant, the Swingfire, entered service in 1966.

     The Vigilant was flexible in its setup, as the components included a launcher box, a sight/controller, a battery, and a controller with a joystick where the operator actually steers the missile and gives the launch commands.  The operator could, therefore, be located 63 meters from where the missile is located and the launch signature occurs.  This could make finding the operator difficult, even though he must stay in place until the Vigilant hits (or misses).  The sight unit has a 3.2x sight and simple engraved stadia lines to aid in steering.  The missile is fired, then steered into his line of sight, then the missile and the target steered into the same sight picture.  The Vigilant was unusual for the time in that it’s flight was gyroscopically stabilized.  This was used to enable the shooter to be located so far from the launcher.  An optional missile selection box allowed the crew to control up six emplaced missiles with one controller (IE, six missiles could be set up, but only one could be controlled at a time by a given gunner).

     Normal HEAT warheads were not deployed with the Vigilant.  Instead, one was developed with a HEAT warhead and standoff probe, and the other with a hardened steel nose containing a HEAT warhead.  For game purposes, both function as a sort of tandem warhead, though neither are tandem warheads in the normal sense of the term.

Weapon

Weights

Missile Caliber

Guidance

Missile Speed

Prices

Vigilant

(Launcher) 6 kg; (Missile) 14 kg

120mm

MCLOS Wire

778

(Launcher) $1240; (Missile) HEAT-P $231; HEAT-HP $241

 

Weapon

Reload

Round

Min Range

Max Range

Damage

Pen

Difficulty

Vigilant

3

HEAT-P

200

1375

C12  B40

20/65C

AVG

Vigilant

3

HEAT-HP

200

1375

C11  B30

23/65C

AVG