Missile 9K112 Kobra (AT-8 Songster)

The 9K112 Kobra (NATO reporting name: AT-8 Songster) is a Soviet SACLOS gun-launched anti-tank missile system designed to be fired from the 125 mm main guns of T-64 and T-80 series main battle tanks. Soviet development of second-generation tube-fired guided projectiles accelerated during the 1970s, driven by NATO anti-tank missile developments, Western gun-missile systems, and the requirement to engage hovering helicopters. Following competitive development against the infrared-guided Gyurza system, the radio-guided Kobra was selected for production. The system entered service on the T-64B in 1976 and was adopted for the T-80B in 1978.

The missile consists of two separate components stored in the tank's autoloader: the 9M43 head section containing a HEAT warhead and sustainer motor, and the 9B447 tail section containing flight controls, a battery, a tracking light source, and a command antenna. The two sections mate together automatically as the round is hoisted into the gun barrel. Guidance is achieved via a SACLOS radio command link; the tank fire control system tracks the rear light source on the missile and transmits steering corrections while the gunner holds the target in the sight. The system features three operational flight modes: primary mode, which elevates the gun during launch to reduce dust interference; ballistic mode, where the missile flies above the line of sight before descending to the target; and emergency mode for rapid engagement of close-in targets.

The baseline 9M112 missile carries a single shaped-charge warhead. Successive modifications focused primarily on increasing armour penetration performance. The 9M112M variant was adopted in 1978 for the T-80B tank. Testing of the 9M112M2 variant began in 1983, while the 9M124 variant integrated a further improved warhead design. The 9M128 Agona variant, equipped with a tandem HEAT warhead, underwent state testing in 1986 and entered service in 1988.

Originally fielded by the Soviet Union, system inventories were passed to successor states. Operators have included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.