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MATADOR (weapon)
Encyclopedia
MATADOR is a 90 mm (3.5 in) man-portable, disposable anti-armor weapon system developed in a collaboration between Singapore
and Israel
. It is an updated version of the German Armbrust
design, and operates on the same principles. The development of this weapon began in 2000 and the MATADOR will eventually replace the German-Singaporean Armbrust
Light Anti-tank Weapon which has been in service since the 1980s.
The MATADOR was developed jointly by the Singapore Armed Forces
(SAF) and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), in collaboration with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Dynamit Nobel Defence (DND) joint team.
The MATADOR is supposed to be capable of defeating the armour of most known armoured personnel carrier
s and light tank
s in the world. The dual-capability warhead, when acting in the delay mode, creates an opening greater than 450 mm (17.7 in) in diameter in a double brickwall, and acting as an anti-personnel weapon against those behind the wall, offering an unconventional means of entry when fighting in built-up areas.
The MATADOR's projectile is claimed to be insensitive to wind due to its propulsion system which results in a highly accurate weapon system.
(HEAT) and High Explosive Squash Head
(HESH) modes against armor and walls or other fortifications respectively. Selection is done by extending a "probe" (most likely a fuse extender) for HEAT mode and leaving the "probe" retracted for HESH mode.
Similar to the Armbrust, the countermass counteracts the recoil of the weapon upon firing. The countermass consists of shredded plastic which is projected out of the rear of the weapon when it is fired. This plastic is rapidly slowed by air resistance allowing the weapon to be fired safely within an enclosed space. In addition, the positioning of the countermass takes into consideration the centre of gravity of the weapon to ensure good balance for greater accuracy.
MATADOR-MP
MATADOR-WB
MATADOR-AS
The MATADOR saw its first combat deployment in January 2009, by Israeli Defence Force soldiers during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip
. MATADOR-WB in particular was used to breach walls in structures, allowing IDF troops to pass through and attack opponents inside.
Video links
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It is an updated version of the German Armbrust
Armbrust
Armbrust is a lightweight unguided anti-tank weapon designed and developed by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm of Germany, who later sold its manufacturing rights to Chartered Industries of Singapore ....
design, and operates on the same principles. The development of this weapon began in 2000 and the MATADOR will eventually replace the German-Singaporean Armbrust
Armbrust
Armbrust is a lightweight unguided anti-tank weapon designed and developed by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm of Germany, who later sold its manufacturing rights to Chartered Industries of Singapore ....
Light Anti-tank Weapon which has been in service since the 1980s.
The MATADOR was developed jointly by the Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
(SAF) and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), in collaboration with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Dynamit Nobel Defence (DND) joint team.
Capabilities
The MATADOR is among the lightest in its class. The warhead is effective against both vehicle armour and brick walls. The weapon has little backblast, making it safe for operation in confined spaces.The MATADOR is supposed to be capable of defeating the armour of most known armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
s and light tank
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
s in the world. The dual-capability warhead, when acting in the delay mode, creates an opening greater than 450 mm (17.7 in) in diameter in a double brickwall, and acting as an anti-personnel weapon against those behind the wall, offering an unconventional means of entry when fighting in built-up areas.
The MATADOR's projectile is claimed to be insensitive to wind due to its propulsion system which results in a highly accurate weapon system.
Warhead
The warhead can be used in both High Explosive Anti-TankHigh explosive anti-tank
High explosive anti-tank warheads are made of an explosive shaped charge that uses the Munroe effect to create a very high-velocity partial stream of metal in a state of superplasticity that can punch through solid armor....
(HEAT) and High Explosive Squash Head
High explosive squash head
High explosive squash head is a type of explosive ammunition that is effective against buildings and is also used against tank armour. It was fielded chiefly by the British Army as the main explosive round of its main battle tanks during the Cold War...
(HESH) modes against armor and walls or other fortifications respectively. Selection is done by extending a "probe" (most likely a fuse extender) for HEAT mode and leaving the "probe" retracted for HESH mode.
Countermass system
Variants
Further variants of MATADOR have also been developed by Rafael and Dynamit Nobel, designed primarily for anti-structure use by soldiers operating in dense urban environments.MATADOR-MP
- Multi-purpose weapon with a warhead effective against a wide variety of ground targets, from light armoured vehicles to fortified positions and urban walls. As with the initial MATADOR, this is achieved with a dual-mode fuze, which has been improved on the MATADOR-MP such that it now automatically discriminates between hard and soft targets rather than requiring the operator to manually make the selection. A dedicated targeting device, mounted on its Picatinny rail, incorporates a reflex sight and laser rangefinder to provide a high hit probability.
MATADOR-WB
- Specialised wall-breaching weapon, featuring an Explosively-formed Ring (EFR) warhead that breaches a man-sized hole, between 75 cm (29.5 in) to 100 cm (39.4 in) across, in typical urban walls.
MATADOR-AS
- Anti-structure weapon with an advanced tandem warhead that can also be set between two modes. The anti-emplacement mode uses an enhanced blast effect to defeat structures and fortifications, while the penetrating/mouse-holing mode defeats light armoured vehicles and creates mouseholes in urban walls. MATADOR-AS has been ordered by the British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and is slated for service entry in 2009.
Combat History
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. MATADOR-WB in particular was used to breach walls in structures, allowing IDF troops to pass through and attack opponents inside.
Users
- Israel Defense ForcesIsrael Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
.: Replacing the ArmbrustArmbrustArmbrust is a lightweight unguided anti-tank weapon designed and developed by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm of Germany, who later sold its manufacturing rights to Chartered Industries of Singapore ....
in the Singapore Armed ForcesSingapore Armed ForcesThe Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
.: Slovenian Ground Force, locally designated as RGW 90.: British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
has ordered the new Anti-Structures MunitionAnti-Structures MunitionThe Anti-Structures Munition is a developmental program for the British Army to provide a man-portable shoulder-launched weapon capable of destroying hardened structures such as buildings or bunkers...
(ASM) version of the MATADOR from Dynamit Nobel Defence.: The German ArmyGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
has ordered 1,000 MATADOR-AS under the name RGW90 AS with scalable anti-structure munition.
External links
Video links
- Future WeaponsFuture WeaponsFuture Weapons, sometimes also written as FutureWeapons and Futureweapons, is a documentary television series that premiered on April 19, 2006 on the Discovery Channel. Host Richard "Mack" Machowicz, a former Navy SEAL, reviews and demonstrates the latest modern weaponry and military technology...
- video