Missile Bantam

Development of this anti-tank missile began in the late 1950s. The system entered service with the Swedish Army in 1963 and the Swiss Army in 1967.

The missile utilizes manual command to line of sight guidance via trailing wires. It is housed in a rectangular launcher box connected to a control unit containing an optical sight and a joystick. At launch, a powder pellet spins a gyroscope and a booster motor provides propulsion. Four wings unfold as the missile exits the launcher, inducing a spin for flight stability. A sustainer motor engages during flight, and tracer flares assist the operator with visual tracking. Guidance commands from the joystick are relayed through wires to an internal transistor circuit, which moves vibrating spoilers on the wings. The missile carries a shaped-charge warhead with a piezo-electric fuze.

The system can be deployed by individual personnel or mounted on vehicles. It has been used on the Volvo L3314, the Scottish Aviation Bulldog, and the Steyr-Daimler-Puch Haflinger. It was also tested on the MOWAG Tornado infantry fighting vehicle. The missile was operated by Sweden, Switzerland, and Argentina. In the 1982 Falklands War, Argentine Marines deployed the system during the defense of the submarine ARA Santa Fe at King Edward Point, where at least one missile was fired at British helicopters.