
Specifications
Year: 1984
Manufacturer(s): Kawasaki Heavy Industries - Japan
Roles: Anti-Tank/Anti-Material/Breaching;
Manufacturer(s): Kawasaki Heavy Industries - Japan
Roles: Anti-Tank/Anti-Material/Breaching;
Action: Wire-Guided SACLOS; Reusable Launcher
Caliber(s): 153mm
Sights: Integrated Optics
Overall Length: 1,500 mm (59.06 in)
Barrel Length: 1,500 mm (59.06 in)
Weight (Unloaded): 648.16 lb (294.00 kg)
Caliber(s): 153mm
Sights: Integrated Optics
Overall Length: 1,500 mm (59.06 in)
Barrel Length: 1,500 mm (59.06 in)
Weight (Unloaded): 648.16 lb (294.00 kg)
Muzzle Velocity: 656 feet-per-second (200 meters-per-second)
Operators: Japan
Taken as a whole, the Type 79 is a complete tank-killing system encompassing the mounting hardware, launcher, optics/guidance kit and missile. The missile weighs 15.7 kilograms while the launcher tips the scales at 278 kilograms. The missile was capped by a 4.2 kilogram shaped charge warhead which gave it appropriate penetration values against enemy tanks of the Cold War period - primarily those emerging from the Soviet Union. Detonation was through an impact detonation or delayed fuse system depending on missile type - of which there proved two primary models. Once clearing the launch tube, the missile relied on an onboard rocket motor for propulsion while spring-loaded fins added stabilization. As a wire-guided weapon, the operator utilized the launcher to "guide" the missile to the intended target by way of a spooled wire. While this limited useful engagement ranges, it provided the necessary accuracy in ranged fighting. Alongside the standard shaped charge warhead missile, there was an armor-piercing fragmentation warhead which was slated for use against "softer-skinned" targets such as offshore ships. The launcher was designed to be used atop its base heavy-duty tripod or affixed to specialized mounts for vehicle use. The configuration also allowed the launcher to be actuated remotely when attempting to set up an anti-tank ambush.
The Type 79 Jyu-MAT is also known by the designation of "KAM-9". The follow-up Type 87 "Chu-MAT" series is a smaller, more portable system introduced in 1989 and features a laser-assisted guidance system although its tank-killing/armor-defeating role remains the same.
Variants / Models
• Type 79 "Jyu-MAT" - Base Series Designation
• KAM-9 - Alternative Designation