BILL 2 Anti-tank guided weapon
Encyclopedia
The BILL 2 Anti-Tank Guided Weapon is a man-portable or vehicle
-mounted guided anti-tank missile using the overfly top attack method to attack the weaker parts of an armoured vehicle. The weapon is currently in service with the Swedish Army
.
that has been in the service of the Swedish Army
since 1988. The BILL 2 is currently produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics
, who are located in Karlskoga
, Sweden
. The BILL 2 comes with one 10.5 kg missile, a launching tube, tripod
with x7 magnification day sight, and one thermal imaging sight.
, but rather than directly hitting the target head on, it overflies it, detonating its warhead on top of an armored vehicle, where the armour
is usually lighter. It also utilizes additional guidance accuracy via the installed rate gyro
, which monitors the tracking movement of the launcher. It is designed primarily to attack armoured or unarmoured vehicles, but can also be used to attack helicopter
s or soft ground targets, such as light buildings.
The BILL 2 can be mounted onto a variety of vehicles and then fired remotely from inside the vehicle.
or semi-automatic command to line-of-sight guidance system, and is controlled via wire. The BILL 2 warhead has an optical and magnetic sensor. The optical sensor serves to find the target’s range, while the magnetic sensor detects metallic targets to determine the best point for the missile to detonate. The BILL 2 contains both a proximity fuse and an inertial impact fuse. The BILL 2 is armed with a double vertically striking shaped charge
, which is a HE or high-explosive warhead. The front warhead destroys the reactive armour
and leaves the rear warhead to penetrate the armour. The charges are shaped to direct all of the hot fragments to one point on the vehicle.
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
-mounted guided anti-tank missile using the overfly top attack method to attack the weaker parts of an armoured vehicle. The weapon is currently in service with the Swedish Army
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
.
Design
The BILL 2 was designed upon the original BILL 1 Anti-tank guided weaponBILL 1 Anti-tank guided weapon
The RBS 56 BILL is a Swedish manportable SACLOS anti-tank missile developed by AB Bofors. Development began in 1979 and entered production in 1985. BILL stands for . By 1996 15,000 missiles had been produced and supplied to the Swedish and Austrian armies. Between 1996 and 1997 Brazil received a...
that has been in the service of the Swedish Army
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
since 1988. The BILL 2 is currently produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics
Saab Bofors Dynamics
Saab Bofors Dynamics, located in Karlskoga and Linköping, Sweden, is a subsidiary of Saab AB that specializes in military materiel such as missile systems and anti-tank systems....
, who are located in Karlskoga
Karlskoga
Karlskoga is a locality and the seat of Karlskoga Municipality in Örebro County, Sweden with 27,500 inhabitants in 2005.-Geography:It is located at the northern shore of lake Möckeln, and the small settlement was initially called Möckelns bodar...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The BILL 2 comes with one 10.5 kg missile, a launching tube, tripod
Tripod
A tripod is a portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The word comes from the Greek tripous, meaning "three feet". A tripod provides stability against downward forces, horizontal forces and moments about the...
with x7 magnification day sight, and one thermal imaging sight.
Operation
The BILL 2 uses OTA or Overfly Top Attack to attack its target. The missile flies towards the target on a standard horizontal trajectoryTrajectory
A trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
, but rather than directly hitting the target head on, it overflies it, detonating its warhead on top of an armored vehicle, where the armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
is usually lighter. It also utilizes additional guidance accuracy via the installed rate gyro
Gyro
- Science and technology :* An abbreviation for gyroscope, an orientation-stabilizing device* An abbreviation for autogyro, a type of rotary-wing aircraft* The casually used brand name of a detangler mechanism, part of a stunt-adapted BMX bicycle...
, which monitors the tracking movement of the launcher. It is designed primarily to attack armoured or unarmoured vehicles, but can also be used to attack helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s or soft ground targets, such as light buildings.
The BILL 2 can be mounted onto a variety of vehicles and then fired remotely from inside the vehicle.
Firing Modes
The BILL 2 has three firing modes that the launcher's operator can select, before launching the missile.- Basic - In this mode the missile will use both of its sensors to hit the armoured vehicle from the top.
- Non-Armored - In this mode the missile uses no sensors and flies on a LOS or line-of-sight, while using the impact fuse.
- Soft Target - In this mode the optical sensor is used, but the magnetic sensor is not. The missile then uses OTA to attack its target.
Missile
The BILL 2 Missile uses a SACLOSSACLOS
SACLOS is an acronym for Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight, a second-generation method of missile guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight...
or semi-automatic command to line-of-sight guidance system, and is controlled via wire. The BILL 2 warhead has an optical and magnetic sensor. The optical sensor serves to find the target’s range, while the magnetic sensor detects metallic targets to determine the best point for the missile to detonate. The BILL 2 contains both a proximity fuse and an inertial impact fuse. The BILL 2 is armed with a double vertically striking shaped charge
Shaped charge
A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, to initiate nuclear weapons, to penetrate armor, and in the oil and gas industry...
, which is a HE or high-explosive warhead. The front warhead destroys the reactive armour
Reactive armour
Reactive armour is a type of vehicle armour that reacts in some way to the impact of a weapon to reduce the damage done to the vehicle being protected. It is most effective in protecting against shaped charges and specially hardened long rod penetrators...
and leaves the rear warhead to penetrate the armour. The charges are shaped to direct all of the hot fragments to one point on the vehicle.
Operators
: Known as Panzerabwehrlenkwaffe PAL 2000 Bill- Swedish ArmySwedish ArmyThe Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...