9M117 Bastion

• Name — 9M117 Bastion • Type — Anti-tank guided missile • Origin — Soviet Union Russia • Is Ranged — yes • Is Missile — yes • Service — 1981–present • Designer — KBP Instrument Design Bureau • Weight — 17.6 kg • Length — 1048 mm • Filling — HEAT tandem warhead • Caliber — 100 mm • Guidance — Laser guidance • Steering — SACLOS • Velocity — 375 m/s max 300 m/s average • Range — 100-5500 m • Detonation — Impact • Launch Platform — T-12, BMP-3, ZBD-04, T-55, T-62

The 9K112 Kobra (AT-8 Songster) was the first Soviet tube-fired anti-tank missile to enter service; however, it was only deployed in limited numbers to front line units. Development work began in the late 1970s on a third generation of guided projectiles that would use laser guidance rather than radio command links. The guidance system was developed by Igor Aristarkhov, and the missile was developed by Pyotr Komonov. The Bastion was developed firstly as a relatively cheap missile fired from towed MT-12 100 mm smoothbore anti-tank guns. The 9M117 missile was part of the 3UBK10 round and the whole weapon system was designated 9K116 Kastet. A laser guidance device was seated on a tripod next to the gun. The system was commissioned in 1981. During development of the 9K116 system, it was recognized that it could enhance the long-range firepower of the older T-55 and T-62 tanks. The system for the T-55's D-10T 100 mm rifled gun was designated 9K116-1 Bastion (3UBK10-1 round); and for the T-62's U-5TS 115 mm smoothbore gun, 9K116-2 Sheksna (3UBK10-2 round). The 9M117 missiles were identical, as in the towed version; however, the 115 mm version had additional guiding rings. They were commissioned in 1983. Then, the 9K116-3 system was developed for the 100 mm rifled gun of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, commissioned in 1987. Similar systems, with larger caliber 9M119 Svir missiles, were developed for the 125 mm guns of the T-72 and T-80 tanks.

Cartridges firing the 9M117 Bastion missile; average armour penetration 550 mm rolled homogeneous armour equivalency (RHAe) after explosive reactive armour (ERA) • 100 mm 3UBK10 (MT-12); firing range; average armour penetration 550 mm RHAe after ERA • 100 mm 3UBK10-1 (T-55) • 115 mm 3UBK10-2 (T-62) • 100 mm 3UBK10-3 (BMP-3 and BMD-4); firing range; average armour penetration 550 mm RHAe after ERA Cartridges firing the 9M117M Kan tandem-charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) missile; average armour penetration 600 mm RHAe after ERA • 100 mm 3UBK10M (MT-12) • 100 mm 3UBK10M-1 (T-55) • 115 mm 3UBK10M-2 (T-62) • 100 mm 3UBK10M-3 (BMP-3 and BMD-4); firing range; average armour penetration 600 mm RHAe after ERA Cartridges firing the 9M117M1 Arkan tandem-charge HEAT missile with an extended range of; average armour penetration 750 mm RHAe after ERA • 100 mm 3UBK23 (MT-12) • 100 mm 3UBK23-1 (T-55) • 115 mm 3UBK23-2 (T-62); average armour penetration 850 mm RHAe after ERA • 100 mm 3UBK23-3 (BMP-3 and BMD-4); firing range; average armour penetration 750 mm RHAe after ERA

• Russia • Cyprus