antivehicleantitank

Antivehicleantitank is a broad, descriptive label for weapons and systems designed to defeat armored ground vehicles, including main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers. The term emphasizes capabilities to counter armored mobility and protection, whether the weapon is fired from an infantryman, mounted on a vehicle, or deployed as artillery. It covers dedicated anti-armor systems and multi-purpose munitions that can threaten armored targets in open terrain or urban environments.

Delivery formats include man-portable anti-tank missiles and recoilless rifles; vehicle-mounted anti-tank systems; anti-armor artillery shells; rocket-propelled grenades; and some anti-armor mines. Modern forces also field multi-role munitions and air- or ship-launched options that can engage armor. Guidance ranges from unguided to fire-and-forget missiles and top-attack or direct-fire modes.

Technologies used to defeat armor include shaped-charge penetrators, tandem-charge designs to defeat reactive armor, and kinetic-energy penetrators. Armor and countermeasures—such as armor upgrades, active protection systems, and improved sensors—continually shape the effectiveness of these weapons. In practice, antivehicleantitank weapons are selected for range, firepower, portability, and integration with other military capabilities.

Historically, anti-armor weapons evolved from WWII rocket launchers and shaped-charge projectors to modern guided missiles and multi-purpose munitions. The concept remains central to land warfare, reflecting the need to counter armored threats across varied terrains and combat scenarios.