Missile M-47 Dragon

The M47 Dragon, originally designated as the FGM-77, originated from a 1960 United States Army program for a medium anti-tank weapon. Development began in 1966, with the first missile tests conducted in 1967. Full system testing followed in 1968, and the weapon entered service with United States forces in 1975.

The system is a man-portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank guided missile. It utilizes Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight (SACLOS) wire guidance. The gunner tracks the target through an optical sight, while an infrared receiver in the tracker monitors thermal radiation from a pyrotechnic source on the missile's tail. A computer measures the missile's position relative to the line of sight and transmits automated correction signals through wires. The hardware consists of a smoothbore fiberglass launch tube, a bipod, and a detachable tracker. While the launch tube is expendable, the tracking sights are reusable.

The base missile carries a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) hollow charge warhead. The Dragon II variant features an upgraded warhead with increased armor penetration. The Dragon III variant utilizes a tandem shaped charge warhead, consisting of a precursor charge and a primary warhead, and incorporates an improved motor for increased flight speed. Iranian-produced variants, designated Saeghe, include copies of the Dragon II and Dragon III, with some versions believed to carry thermobaric warheads.

Standard daylight operations utilize the SU-36/P infrared tracker with 6x magnification. For limited visibility, the AN/TAS-5 thermal imaging sight is used, allowing engagement through smoke, fog, or total darkness. This thermal sight uses a red-orange and black or white color palette to differentiate temperature signatures.

The M47 Dragon was widely deployed by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps until its retirement in 2001. In U.S. service, it was organized at the squad or platoon level in infantry, airborne, and ranger units. The system has seen combat in the Iran-Iraq War, the 1982 Lebanon War, the Invasion of Grenada, the Western Sahara War, and the Gulf War. It has also been used in the Yemeni Civil War and conflicts in the Najran, Jizan, and Asir regions.

Current operators include Iran, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Syria. The Iranian Saeghe version is also operated by the Sudanese military, the Rapid Support Forces, and various militias in Iraq. Non-state actors, including Hezbollah and the Houthis, utilize the system. Former operators include Israel, Jordan, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. The United States destroyed its remaining stocks in 2009.