Aries

Notes: This was Spain’s first candidate to replace its aging MAWs with a light ATGM. The Aries was to be a light system to be fired from a small tripod similar to the later Israeli Gill/Spike System. The Missile was to be self-contained in a throwaway container, and have a tandem warhead with a fragmentation jacket for antipersonnel effect. The launcher includes an image intensifier. Further development led to the MACAM-3, which was much lighter and more advanced in design, and the Aries was passed by the wayside for later technology.

Twilight 2000 Story: The Aries was fielded in early 1993 and became one of the mainstays of Spanish and Portuguese light antitank forces.

Weapon

Weights

Missile Caliber

Guidance

Missile Speed

Prices

Aries

(Launcher) 11.4 kg; (Missile) 15.9 kg

148.6mm

Wire SACLOS

1175

(Launcher) $2752; (Missile) $1205

Weapon

Reload

Round

Min Range

Max Range

Damage

Pen

Difficulty

Aries

5

HEAT-T-FRAG

65

2000

C22 B69

137C/171C

AVG

MACAM-3

Notes: This weapon is the new Spanish light ATGM, produced by Gyconsa. It is a rather new weapon, and is rather rare. The launcher unit clips on to the missile tube, which comes pre-packed from the factory. The firing unit is powered by a small battery that lasts for four hours in the "on" position. The missile is guided by fiberoptic strands that reel out from the missile, similar to a wire-guided missile, but more reliable and responsive. The firing unit incorporates a passive IR unit for night use. In an emergency, the MACAM-3 missile tube can be placed on a TOW missile launcher and launched and guided that way. The warhead is of the tandem HEAT variety, and is a top-attack missile. Once fired, the operator can then drop the missile and firing unit, and the missile will guide on a fire-and forget basis. Locking on in this manner requires 3 phases (15 seconds) of aiming. The missile may also be guided in a conventional manner (i.e. throughout its entire flight); this requires only one phase of aiming. Pintle mounts for this weapon exist.

Weapon

Weights

Missile Caliber

Guidance

Missile Speed

Prices

MACAM-3

(Guidance Unit) 9 kg; (Missile) 13.8 kg

147mm

FOG or IR Fire and Forget

1000

(Launcher) $5490; (Missile) $5925

Weapon

Reload

Round

Min Range

Max Range

Damage

Pen

Difficulty

MACAM-3 (FOG-Guided)

1

HEAT-T-TA

50

5000

C29 B55

136C/170C

ESY

MACAM-3 (Fire & Forget)

1

HEAT-T-TA

50

2500

C29 B55

136C/170C

AVG