Missile 9K121 Vikhr (AT-16 Scallion)

The 9K121 Vikhr (NATO: AT-16 Scallion) is an air-launched anti-tank missile originating in the Soviet Union. It was first publicly displayed at the 1992 Farnborough Airshow. The system was adopted in 1990 and has undergone subsequent modernization.

The missile is designed to engage armored ground targets, including those equipped with explosive reactive armor (ERA), as well as low-speed aerial targets. It utilizes a multi-purpose tandem HEAT fragmentation warhead. This warhead is equipped with both contact and proximity fuzes, allowing the system to be employed against armored vehicles, area targets, and aircraft. Guidance is provided by a laser beam-riding system. The missile features laser detectors at its aft end, a configuration that reduces susceptibility to electronic jamming because the sensors face the launch platform rather than the target.

The flight control mechanism uses a spin-stabilized design. Two radial rocket engines mounted forward of the midpoint cause the airframe to rotate during flight. Guidance is achieved through a single moving canard that adjusts the roll rate and attitude, resulting in a distinctive flight pattern. The system can be deployed in single shots or pairs. When used in conjunction with automatic targeting systems, launch platforms can engage multiple targets in rapid succession. The missile's high flight speed allows for rapid target engagement.

The 9K121 is operated by the Russian Air Force and the Egyptian Air Force, following its initial service with the Soviet Union. Primary launch platforms include Ka-50, Ka-52, and Mi-28NM helicopters, alongside Su-25T and Su-25TM fixed-wing aircraft. A naval variant is also utilized on ships equipped with the AK-630 system.

The missile has seen combat during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where it has been used against various armored vehicle types. During the 2024 Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region, Mi-28 helicopters employed the missile during night-time operations against tanks. An upgraded version, the Vikhr-1, entered service with Russian forces in 2015, with further modifications entering production in 2024.