Anti-Tank Launchers Reference Guide (by Hvymtal)

A general reference guide on the various weapons that make up the Launcher slot. This is strictly a reference guide and assumes basic competency in the Infantry Anti-Vehicle role

Introduction and Disclaimer

This guide is intended to provide useful information about the tools of the trade for Intantry Anti-Vehicle Specialists. This guide assumes that you have basic knowledge on the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures of this role.
While this guide does provide some instructional information on specific quirks and features of each weapon system, this guide WILL NOT instruct the reader on any Tactics, Techniques, or Procedures required to perform the anti-vehicle role.



May be freely redistributed and modified with author’s accreditation

Any requirement of financial compensation in any form, directly or indirectly, to access this document, or a modified version thereof, is prohibited

Authored by community member “Hvymtal”
Arma 3 Copyright 2013-2019 Bohemia Interactive a.s. All Rights Reserved
Neither the author nor this document has any official affiliation with Bohemia Interactive a.s.

This guide was originally written in Google Docs. The original documentation can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oGznRhgYVCrSSCgKP8ZcB-Q9aQCMJVo94tmPjEvml_o/edit?usp=sharing

Bohemia Interactive forum thread associated witht he original document:
https://forums.bohemia.net/forums/topic/216346-hvymtals-at-reference-guide/

Information last updated Version 1.82 (Tanks DLC). As far as I'm aware, there has not been any major changes to armor or anti-tank munitions since then

Please, leave a like here and/or on the forums if you did, favorite if you want to quickly come back to this information, and consider sharing this guide with others if you belive this information would be helpful, and most of all, thank you for reading!

Item Format

*First and third person images*

-Full Name: If applicable
-Short Name: For instances where the weapon name is too bulky
-AKA: Real-life name, if applicable
-Type: What type/role of weapon it is
-Comparable: Similar real-life or in-game weapons
-Normal Faction: Which factions normally use this weapon
-Weight: About how heavy is it
-Skill Floor: How easy it is to use (low is better)
-Skill Ceiling: How good a user can become (high is better)
-Good Against: Good and bad against these targets
-Bad Against: /\
-Overkill: Excessive against these targets
-Don’t Bother: Consistently poor results with these targets or features

-Warheads Available: What types of ammunition that can be used
-Carryall Capacity: How much ammo can fit in a carryall bag
-Accessories: Any additional accessories that can be fitted
-Sights: What the aiming sights are like, any special functions
-Sight Range: The minimum and maximum ranges of the sights in meters

*Image of the sights*

-Max Effective: How far an average user can reasonably use it in meters
-Projectile Speed: How fast the projectile flies
-AT Warhead: What kind of warhead the AT projectile uses
-Fire Modes: How the weapon can be used
-Guidance: Can the projectile alter its path mid-flight
-AT Raw Damage: How much damage the AT round does
-AT Consistency: How consistent it achieves this damage
-Slat Armor: How effective is it against spaced slat/cage armor
-ERA: How effective against explosive reactive armor
-HE Splash Radius: About how wide an area it will affect soft targets
-HE Damage: How much damage will the HE round do

-MRAP/Nyx: How many shots it will realistically take to destroy each vehicle type
-Wheeled APC: /\
-Tracked APC: /\
-Tank: /\

Sights notes: Anything extra that needs to be said about the sights in particular, or related

Other notes: Anything else that needs to be said, tips, do’s and don'ts, etc.

Glossary of Terms

This document assumes basic knowledge of military equipment. The following acronyms and short names may be used

-MRAP: Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, a form of armored car

-Utility: Unarmored utility and transport vehicles, such as trucks and jeeps. Generally, all infantry launchers are effective against utility

-APC: Armored Personnel Carrier, generally lightly to moderately armed. Used interchangeably with IFV in this document

-IFV: Infantry Fighting Vehicle, generally heavily armed. Used interchangeably with APC in this document

-MBT: Main Battle Tank, especially current-generation tanks

-Wheeled: Uses road wheels for mobility. Usually less survivable

-Tracked: Uses caterpillar tracks for mobility. Usually more survivable

-Armor: Depends on context, either an armored vehicle or its protective armor

-Light: Lightly-armored vehicles, mainly MRAPs and the MSE-3 Marid WAPC

-Aircraft: Refers to all aircraft including planes, helicopters, and vertical take-off/landing

-Anti-armor: Intended for use against armor, but not necessarily modern tanks

-Anti-tank: Intended for use against Main Battle Tanks

-Rocket Launcher: Propellant is contained within the projectile. May be expended over time or at launch

-Missile Launcher: Similar to a rocket launcher, but with a guided projectile

-Recoilless Rifle: Propellant is contained in a casing and is expended at launch, similar to an infantry firearm. Barrel need not necessarily be rifled

-MANPADS: Man-Portable Air Defense System, a missile launcher meant for use against helicopters and low-flying airplanes

-ATGM: Anti-Tank Guided Missile

-ERA: Explosive Reactive Armor, creates an opposite explosive force to a HEAT warhead, neutralizing its effectiveness. Generally only found on tanks as it adds a substantial amount of weight

-Slat: AKA Cage or Bar armor, a form of spaced armor meant to prematurely detonate or even fully disable a HEAT warhead. Terms used interchangeably. Also referred to in this document as external spaced armor. Often applied to APCs and IFVs as it adds only minor weight compared to ERA, and is much easier to repair/replace

-HEAT: High Explosive Anti Tank, uses concentrated explosive force and molten metal to penetrate armor

-Tandem HEAT: A smaller HEAT warhead in front of a larger one, meant to combat Slat and ERA by destroying them before the primary warhead detonates

-EFP: Explosively Formed Penetrator, explosive force alters the shape of a concave piece of metal into a kinetic penetrating slug at very high velocity

-HE: High Explosive, often with a fragmenting casing. Highly effective against unarmored vehicles, structures, and infantry

RPG-7: Light Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher

-Type: Light Anti-armor Rocket Launcher
-Comparable: RPG-16, RPG-2, Panzerfaust 44
-Normal Faction: Syndikat, FIA
-Weight: Light (less than a rifle)
-Skill Floor: Very Low
-Skill Ceiling: Medium-High
-Good Against: Light
-Bad Against: Tracked, Infantry
-Don’t Bother: Tank, Panther, Slat and ERA, Moving Aircraft

-Warheads Available: PG-7V (Anti-armor/multipurpose)
-Carryall Capacity: 8
-Accessories: None
-Sights: Iron Sights, U notch-and-post with hood
-Sight Range: 200-500m (100m increments)


-Max Effective: 500-600m
-Projectile Speed: Moderate
-AT Warhead: Conventional HEAT
-Fire Modes: Unguided Direct Fire
-Guidance: Unguided
-Raw Damage: Above Poor, Below Decent
-Consistency: Good
-Slat Armor: Very Poor
-ERA: Very Poor
-Splash Radius: Underwhelming, but usable
-Splash Damage: Meh


-MRAP/Nyx: 1, sometimes 2
-Wheeled APC: 1-3
-Tracked APC: At least 3, often more
-Tank: Avoid if possible


-Sights notes: For 100m and closer, the point of aim is between the sight post and the hood, about 33% of the way up, closer to the post

-Other notes: The RPG-7’s effectiveness against any vehicles more resilient than an MRAP or Nyx can only be described as poor. It is so weak that it will not reliably destroy a spaced armor section in one hit, something all other anti-tank weapons can achieve. It can be used to weaken spaced armor and ERA for other weapons, but it cannot be expected to destroy an enemy armored vehicle in good time by itself.

RPG-42 Alamut: Medium Multi-Role Rocket Launcher

-AKA: RPG-32 Barkas
-Type: Medium Multi-role Rocket Launcher
-Comparable: MAAWS/Carl G, Mk 141 SMAW, RPG-29 Vampir
-Normal Faction: CSAT, FIA, Spetsnaz
-Weight: Moderate, same as the MAAWS and PCML
-Skill Floor: Moderate
-Skill Ceiling: Very High
-Good Against: Wheeled APCs, Light, Infantry, Structures
-Bad Against: Tracked (Panther especially), Well-Sloped Armor
-Don’t Bother: Tank unless you have a rear shot, Moving Aircraft

-Warheads Available: HEAT (anti-armor), HE (soft/area targets)
-Carryall Capacity: 5 (HEAT), 8 (HE)
-Accessories: None
-Sights: Fixed 4x with hold-over markers, width-based rangefinder, night vision
-Sight range: 50-500m (50, 100, 150, then 100m increments)



-Max Effective: 600m (stationary vehicles), 800m (infantry and structures)
-Projectile Speed: Moderate
-AT Warhead: Tandem HEAT
-Fire Modes: Unguided Direct Fire
-Guidance: Unguided
-AT Raw Damage: Good
-AT Consistency: Moderate (dislikes sloped armor)
-Slat Armor: Good
-ERA: Decent
-HE Splash Radius: Good
-HE Damage: Excellent

-MRAP/Nyx: 1
-Wheeled APC: 1-2
-Tracked APC: 2-4, often more
-Tank: At least 3, often more (1-2 with a good rear shot)

-Sights notes: The RPG-42’s projectile accelerates in flight, and will have substantially more drop and less velocity for the first 300 meters. The sight does have some imperfections that can be used as additional range markers, but it will require practice and trial-and-error to be able to reliably use the weapon beyond 600m. The range-finding markers have extensions which can be used for movement lead, though the slow speed of the projectile makes use against moving targets difficult beyond 200m

-Other notes: The RPG-42 seems to have a strong distaste for well-sloped armor and composite armor as found on tanks and the Panther. Do not expect good effects against NATO tracked vehicles. Otherwise, it is a good, powerful weapons system. Its high explosive round is very effective. An assistant gunner with a laser rangefinder is preferred, as the range-finding markers are only effective from the side aspect against a vehicle similar in length to a tank.

MAAWS Mk4: Medium Multi-Role Recoilless Rifle

-Full Name: Multi-role Anti-armor Anti-tank Weapon System, Mark 4, Mod 0 (Left)/ Mod 1 (Right)
-Short Name: MAAWS, Carl G
-AKA: Carl Gustaf M4, M3E1 MAAWS, numerous others
-Type: Medium Multi-role Recoilless Rifle
-Comparable: RPG-42, M67 RR, Mk 153 SMAW
-Normal Faction: NATO, AAF, FIA, LDF
-Weight: Moderate, same as the RPG-42 and PCML
-Skill Floor: Moderate (Mod 0), Very Low (Mod 1)
-Skill Ceiling: High
-Good Against: Wheeled APCs, Light Vehicles, Infantry, Structures
-Bad Against: Panther
-Don’t Bother: Tanks unless you have a rear shot

-Warheads Available: HEAT 75 (anti-armor), HE 44 (soft/area targets)
-Carryall Capacity: 5 (HEAT), 8 (HE)
-Accessories: IR Laser and Flashlight
-Sights (Mod 0): Fixed 4x with hold-over markers, height-based rangefinder
-Sight Range (Mod 0): 100-1000m (100m increments)

Mod 0





-Sights (Mod 1): Fixed 4x with hold-over markers, laser rangefinder, night vision
-Sight Range (Mod 1): 100-1000m (100, 200, then 200m increments)


Mod 1



-Max Effective: 400-500m (moving vehicles), 1200m (stationary vehicles, infantry and structures)
-Projectile Speed: Fast
-AT Warhead: Tandem HEAT
-Fire Modes: Unguided Direct Fire
-Guidance: Unguided
-AT Raw Damage: Good
-AT Consistency: Very Good
-Slat Armor: Good
-ERA: Decent
-HE Splash Radius: Good
-HE Damage: Excellent

-MRAP/Nyx: 1
-Wheeled APC: 1-2
-Tracked APC: 2-3
-Tank: At least 3, often more (1-2 with a good rear shot)

-Sights notes: The Mod 0 has horizontal extensions on its 200, 400, 600, and 800m markers which can be used for lead against moving targets. They can also be used to determine range, though this will require practice. The rangefinder included is optimized for taller vehicles; the T-100 will read longer compared to the other CSAT vehicles.

The Mod 1’s range markers are in 200m increments, with an additional 100m red dot which is co-witnessed to the laser rangefinder. For “odd numbered” increments, manual adjustment is required. It must be remembered that the correct point of aim is halfway between the peaks of the markers, not the peak and bottom. You can also think of it as ⅓ of the way from the bottom of the above marker to the tip of the lower, though for area targets and closer ranges halfway works just fine. The top of the rangefinder box is about 1100m, and the bottom of the numbers is about 1200m. The bottom of the sight is about 1500m for both versions; this is the absolute maximum range.

-Other Notes: The relatively high projectile speed makes it quite a bit easier to use against moving vehicles than other weapon types; it is perhaps the only unguided AT weapon that stands a good chance of hitting a moving helicopter without excessive practice. It is also very accurate, able to consistently land shots in a 5-meter circle at 1000m, making it quite easy to use. The high flight arc also lends itself well to dealing with sloped amor, offsetting the power deficiency against the RPG-42 somewhat.

PCML: Light Anti-Armor Missile Launcher

-Full Name: Personnel-Carried Missile Launcher
-AKA: MBT LAW, NLAW
-Type: Guided Light Anti-armor Weapon
-Comparable: FGM-172A SRAW
-Normal Faction: NATO, AAF, LDF
-Weight: Moderate, same as the RPG-42 and MAAWS
-Skill Floor: Low (Perceived), Moderate/High (Due to inconsistency)
-Skill Ceiling: Deceptively High
-Good Against: Light Vehicles, APCs from the front
-Bad Against: APCs from the side, Slat armor and ERA, AFV-4 Gorgon
-Overkill: Unarmored vehicles
-Don’t Bother: Tanks, Infantry, Aircraft, Direct Flight mode


-Warheads Available: PCML Missile (Anti-armor)
-Carryall Capacity: 4
-Accessories: None
-Sights: Fixed 4x, laser rangefinder, night vision, similar to RCO
-Sight Range: Not Applicable



-Max Effective: 800m (maximum lock range)
-Projectile Speed: Slow
-AT Warhead: Explosively Formed Penetrator
-Fire Modes: Unguided direct fire, lock-on direct fire, lock-on overflight
-Guidance: Unguided or TV lock-on (finicky at times)
-Raw Damage: Extremely Good
-Consistency: Extremely Poor
-Slat Armor: Poor
-ERA: Poor
-Splash Radius: Poor
-Splash Damage: Poor

-MRAP/Nyx: 1
-Wheeled APC: 1-2
-Tracked APC: 1-3 (more with a bad angle)
-Tank: Avoid if possible

Sights Notes: The missile will drop to the bottom post of the reticle, then accelerate upwards to above the uppermost reticle post above the dot. Use the uppermost post and aim a little low for unguided direct fire. The edge of the sight picture represents the maximum allowable hold-off for a guided shot. Your mileage may vary, but in my experience, for best results, place the bottom post of the reticle on top of the lock-on marker.

Other Notes: THIS IS NOT AN ATGM, IT IS A GUIDED LIGHT ANTI-ARMOR WEAPON! DO NOT EXPECT GOOD RESULTS IF PRESSED INTO THE ATGM ROLE!

The flight profile is quite irregular and does not lend itself well to doing large amounts of damage. It is recommended to use overflight mode at all times, as its damage is much more consistent than using the direct fire mode. If the weapon can get into the “meat” of a target, it will do very good damage at least equal to the Alamut and MAAWS, and at best a one-hit kill against likely opposition.

If it is not able to maximize its hit area, it will do poor to negligible damage. Hold-offs can be used at short range (250m or less) to alter the angle of attack of the projectile and increase the chance of a one-hit kill. It is recommended to fire upon the frontal aspect of a target vehicle as this will increase the chance of a one-hit kill. Exception: the AFV-4 Gorgon is quite trollish to the PCML and a one-hit kill is inconsistent. Additionally, the IFV-6 Panther is extremely resilient and a one-hit kill should not ever be expected, though it can happen. Damage against tanks is negligible in both modes and the PCML should not be used against tanks except when no other options are available. If you have to engage a tank, try to get an overhead shot into the rear turret bustle; this is the only realistic spot where significant damage can be done, and if done repeatedly can destroy a tank in 2-4 hits.

Titan MPRL Compact: Light Weight Anti-Tank Guided Missile

-Full Name: Titan Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher, Compact
-Short Name: Titan
-AKA: Mini-Spike
-Type: Lightweight ATGM
-Comparable: ERYX
-Normal Faction: NATO, AAF, CSAT, LDF
-Weight: Moderate, slightly heavier than the PCML, RPG-42, and MAAWS
-Skill Floor: Very low
-Skill Ceiling: High
-Good Against: APCs, Tanks from the rear
-Bad Against: Slat Armor and ERA
-Overkill: Light Vehicles

-Warheads Available: Titan AT (anti-armor/anti-tank), Titan AP (soft/area target)
-Carryall Capacity: 3 (AT), 5 (AP)
-Accessories: IR Laser and flashlight
-Sights: Multiple magnification, infrared, laser rangefinder
-Sight Range: Not applicable



-Max Effective: Over 2000m
-Projectile Speed: Moderate
-AT Warhead: Conventional HEAT
-Fire Modes: Guided direct fire, guided top-down attack
-Guidance: Manual and infrared ock-on
-AT Raw Damage: Good
-AT Consistency: Good
-Slat Armor: Poor
-ERA: Poor
-HE Splash Radius: Very Good
-HE Damage: Moderate

-MRAP/Nyx: 1
-Wheeled APC: 1
-Tracked APC: 1-2
-Tank: 2-3, 1 with a good rear hit

Sights notes: Manual guidance is achieved by placing the crosshair over the target and keeping it there. The missile will guide itself such that it will connect with the center of the crosshair. The missile will lose the ability to effectively guide itself if excessive correction is applied.

Other notes: Recommended to use manual guidance as much as possible. Top-down attack mode does less damage and should not be used if an unprotected area is available. Top-down has a minimum range of roughly 250m.

The weapon is likely to reliably destroy a tank in one hit on the rear area, or at the very least disable the engine and immobilize it (exception: MBT-52 Kuma has spaced armor protecting this area, attempt to aim for the space below it). If the rear armor cannot be hit, the central turret sides are the next most recommended area, then the hull side under the turret (if unprotected).

If the frontal aspect is not avoidable, attempt to aim for the gunner’s sights (usually a large box on top of the turret or in a cut-out), the gun mantlet, in between the hull and turret if sufficient room is available, or the lower glacis plate.

Shot Priority from most to least desirable: rear hull, vehicle-specific weak spots, unprotected side hull, unprotected side turret, frontal weak spots, all others

The Titan also comes in a crew-served variant. Statistics are identical to the infantry model, though the tripod unit only has AT ammunition

Special note: The T-140 Angara’s turret can be reliably disabled by the Titan in one hit from the side or two from the front. If a rear shot is unavailable, aim for the turret.

Titan MPRL: Man-Portable Air Defense System

-Full Name: Titan Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher
-Short Name: Titan AA
-Type: MANPADS
-Comparable: FIM-92 Stinger, 9K38 Igla/SA-18 Grouse, 9K333 Verba/SA-25
-Normal Faction: NATO, AAF, CSAT, LDF
-Weight: Heavy
-Skill Floor: Low
-Skill Ceiling: Low
-Good Against: Aircraft
-Don’t Bother: Everything else

-Warheads Available: Titan AA (high explosive contact fuze)
-Carryall Capacity: 3
-Accessories: IR Laser, Flashlight
-Sights: Identical to Titan Compact
-Sight Range: Not Applicable



-Max Effective: 2000-3000m
-Projectile Speed: Extremely Fast
-Warhead: High explosive contact fuze
-Fire Modes: Unguided direct fire (not recommended), guided direct fire
-Guidance: Unguided or infrared lock-on
-Raw Damage: High
-Consistency: High
-Splash Radius: Not Applicable

-Light Helicopter: 1
-Medium Helicopter: 1
-Heavy Helicopter: 1-2
-Attack Aircraft: 2
-Fighter Aircraft: 1-2
-Transport Aircraft: At least 2

Sights notes: None

Other notes: Avoid frontal aspect shots. Shots on the general rear aspect are optimal. Side aspect shots are acceptable for helicopters. Most aircraft have a missile alert system as well as countermeasures, and multiple shots may be required unless the target is particularly close

This is a specialist anti-aircraft weapon. Any attempt to use it in a direct fire anti-ground role is a total waste of resources. There are better weapons for this purpose; stick to aircraft

The Titan AA also comes in a crew-served variant. Statistics are identical to the infantry model

9M135 Vorona: Heavy Anti-Tank Guided Missile

-Short Name: Vorona
-AKA: 9K115-2 Metis-M/AT-13 Saxhorn-2
-Type: Heavy ATGM

-Comparable: Spike-MR, MILAN
-Normal Faction: CSAT
-Weight: Very Heavy
-Skill Floor: Moderate
-Skill Ceiling: High
-Good Against: Tanks, Slat armor and ERA, Tracked APCs
-Bad Against: Your Fatigue
-Overkill: Anything wheeled without slat or ERA
-Don’t Bother: HE ammo

-Warheads Available: 9M135 HEAT (anti-tank), 9M135 HE (soft/area target)
-Carryall Capacity: 3 (both types)
-Accessories: None
-Sights: Multiple magnification, infrared, laser rangefinder
-Sight Range: Not Applicable



-Max Effective: Over 2000m
-Projectile Speed: Moderate
-AT Warhead: Tandem HEAT
-Fire Modes: Guided direct fire
-Guidance: Manual guidance
-AT Raw Damage: All of the damage
-AT Consistency: High
-Slat Armor: Exceptional
-ERA: Exceptional
-HE Splash Radius: Good
-HE Damage: Very Good

-MRAP/Nyx: 1
-Wheeled APC: 1
-Tracked APC: 1
-Tank: 1-2

Sights notes: None

Other notes: The Vorona is extremely powerful, and almost completely disregards ERA and spaced armor. The side or rear hull is the ideal place to hit, and any vehicle will fall in one hit with a good side shot (Note: The Angara will withstand side hull shots in its unusually tough ERA, and the Kuma will withstand side turret shots and will have a delayed explosion on the hull sides. Aim for the rear side protected by spaced armor).

The downside is that the operator only has the weight capacity for the launcher itself and one missile if they are wearing decent protective equipment; an assistant gunner is very much required to carry additional ammunition. For this reason, high explosive ammunition is not recommended. The Vorona’s HE is very powerful, but given the heavy weight of the weapon and its ammunition, carrying capacity is better spent on more AT missiles, and if tanks are not likely to be encountered but a guided weapon is still desirable, then the Titan can provide more ammunition for the same weight.

Shot Priority from most to least desirable: rear or side hull (except T-140 ERA), side turret (except T-140), vehicle-specific weak spots, all others

[TOKIN]

i know quite a bit of this game, but until this guide i have just been guessing some of the smaller details, like aiming, and range. 10/10

[DANGER RANGER]

damage on the Vorona: yes

I stuck 3 of them in the front of a t140 and it did nothing, then later I took 1 to the front of my AFV and it killed me.

[LucSon]

DAGR: Literally VLS

[islamy96]

@maccrawinthejaw Slammer is trash. I prefer marshal or rhino heck AAF tank is preferable if CSAT is forbidden. if you use RHS better use tank M1 abram.

[hvymtal]

@Tintin check the reading again. It is very powerful indeed, but due to the way its projectile interacts with armor it is very inconsistent in both my personal experience and in testing

@Mecilh Just open up a hatch, toss one inside, and watch the fireworks xD

@Maccraw and others, glad to be of help. I'm glad my life of vidya gaem science helped; I too, love pretty explosions that happen when enemy vehicles are destroyed and with an appreciation for logistics I wanted to find out how to do so as efficiently as possible. My only regret is that I didn't think to put it on Steam sooner!

[Schubz]

Actually useful guide. Thanks!

[Pät Mc Garry]

I tried the PCML before and its actually quite powerful, destroys MBTs in 2-3 hits when shot on the sides (exept the T-140, that thing is just to powerful) and its very good if you are indoors.

[♥♥♥♥ lover]

cats, they are the best for killing tank

[Berkay K.]

.

[jmj1216]

lol