European missile manufacturer MBDA has unveiled its new Akeron MBT 120 guided munition developed for main battle tanks (MBT) using 120mm main guns, such as Germany’s Leopard 2, the US M1 Abrams, and South Korea’s K2 in service with Poland and Turkey.
The company says the round was developed from lessons learned in the war in Ukraine, which showed that even modern tanks are vulnerable to top attacks. Tank crews have tried to exploit this with improvised indirect fire using high-explosive shells – a makeshift but inaccurate solution.
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MBDA says the compact new round matches the dimensions of standard NATO 120mm rounds. The “fire and forget” munition weighs around 20 kilograms (44 pounds) and measures 984 millimeters (38.7 inches) in length, which makes it fully compatible with existing storage racks and automatic loading systems.
The Soviet Union pioneered the use of tank-launched missiles with models such as the 9K112 Kobra (NATO: AT-8 Songster) and 9M119 (NATO: AT-11 Sniper) fired from the 125mm main guns of the T-64 and T-80 series of tanks.
Unlike the semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) projectiles, which require laser guidance and expose the firing tank, the Akeron MBT 120 can fire from behind cover and move away immediately after launch.
The missile is equipped with a passive electro-optical and infrared seeker, which makes it impervious to current Russian laser-based and active protection countermeasures.
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Target coordinates can be transmitted by drones, forward observers and other assets to ensure accurate acquisition once close to the objective.
The missile is said to have a maximum effective range of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles), although the typical range of engagement on the battlefield is often less than 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles).
The munition uses a low-acceleration rocket motor, which reduces barrel wear and stress on its internal components. The motor lifts it to a high altitude after launch, before plunging on its target from above.
MBDA says the munition uses commercial off-the-shelf components exempt from US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and employs AI-enabled targeting software.
The company says the round will feature greater lethality and survivability while reducing the need for artillery support, though the type of warhead has not yet been finalized.
It is most likely to be a single shaped charge capable of defeating the top armor of current Russian tanks, but options such as fragmentation sleeves or high-explosive fragmentation for soft targets and infantry are also being studied by partner nations.
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