HOT (missile)
| HOT-3 | |
|---|---|
HOT-3 | |
| Type | Anti-tank guided missile |
| Place of origin | France / West Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See operators |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Euromissile (now MBDA) |
| Produced | 1977–present |
| Variants | HOT 1, HOT 2, HOT 3 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 24.5 kg |
| Length | 1.30 m |
| Diameter | 0.15 m |
| Wingspan | 0.31 m |
| Warhead | Tandem-charge HEAT |
| Engine | Two-stage solid fuel rocket |
Operational range | 75-4,300 m |
| Maximum speed | 864 km/h (240 m/s) |
Guidance system | SACLOS |
Launch platform | Vehicle, helicopter |
| External image | |
|---|---|
| HOT - Vehicles | |
| HOT missile details |
The HOT (French: Haut subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube, or High Subsonic, Optical, Remote-Guided, Tube-Launched) is a second-generation long-range anti-tank guided missile system. It was developed originally to replace the older SS.11 wire guided missile in French and West German service. It was jointly developed by French company Nord Aviation and the West German Bölkow. Nord Aviation and Bölkow would later merged with other companies to respectively form Aérospatiale and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB).
In comparison to the SS.11, HOT has longer range, flies faster, and is semi-automatically guided instead of manually. It has become one of the most successful missiles of its class, with tens of thousands of missiles produced, used by no fewer than a dozen countries worldwide, and validated in combat in several wars. The missile system is also commonly mounted on light and medium armored vehicles, and attack helicopters.