SMD-18 Zilzal
| SMD-18 "Zilzal" "زلزال" | |
|---|---|
| File:Zilzal3.jpg A sideways view of a regular production Zilzal. | |
| Type | Anti-tank missile |
| Place of origin |  Riysa |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2008 - present |
| Used by | Riysa |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Riysian High Command |
| Designed | 2005 |
| Unit cost | Missile: £L 27,000 Firing Post: £L 60,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Missile: 12.0 kg Launcher: 6 kg |
| Length | Missile: 1.0 m Launcher: 1.2 m |
| Diameter | 135 mm |
| Crew | 1-2 |
| Sights | Optical, thermal imaging |
| Warhead | Tandem-charge warhead, 1000 mm RHA behind ERA Thermobaric warhead |
Detonation mechanism | Impact fuze |
| Engine | Solid fuel rocket |
Operational range | 17 m - 1 km |
| Speed | 220 m/s |
Guidance system | SACLOS laser beam-riding |
The SMD-18 Zilzal (Arabic: زلزال, Eng: Earthquake, Cataclysm) is a light SACLOS anti-tank guided missile developed by Riysa, designed for close-range combat.
Development
Description
The SMD-18 is purposely designed for close-range combat. It has a minimum range of only 17 meters, and a respectable maximum range of one kilometer. It features soft-launch capability - the rocket motor doesn't engage until after it has left the barrel - to make it safe for use in close urban environments, something that most anti-tank systems lack. This also decreases the visibility of its operators by not producing a massive launch signature. The system is designed around being serviceable by a single person, and is shoulder-launchable. It weighs only 18 kilograms - 12 kilograms from the missile, and the remainder from the launcher. This is around the same weight of a loaded RPG-29, and almost 10 kilograms less than the weight of a complete Javelin system, while being superior in armor penetration and many other aspects to either legacy system.
The missile is highly maneuverable thanks to thrust-vectoring. It is also designed to defeat most armored threats faced by infantry, and can frontally penetrate a large majority of tanks in active service with its tandem-charge warhead. The missile itself is easily producible and cheaper than some of its contemporaries, by placing the main warhead to the rear of the missile instead of using a collapsible probe.
The guidance system is SACLOS laser beam-riding. Laser beam-riding systems are immune to most countermeasures as their sensor faces the launcher, not the target; this also prevents the sensor from impairing the formation of the metal jet, maximizing effectiveness.
Variants
- SMD-18A - Tandem-charge warhead.
- SMD-18B - Thermobaric warhead.
Combat History
Replacement
A possible replacement for the SMD-18 is said to be in development, with fire-and-forget capability to negate the SMD-18's downside of exposing the operator while guiding the missile.