×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
INFANTRY
MODERN ARMIES
SPECIAL FORCES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
MODERN
RUSSO-UKRAINIAN WAR
Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

Dynamit Noble MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOor)


90mm Man-Portable, Shoulder-Fired Rocket Launcher [ 2000 ]



A joint German-Israeli-Singaporean weapon, the MATADOR is an upgrade to the Cold War-era Armbrust AT system developed by West Germany.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/21/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
The MATADOR disposable anti-tank, shoulder-fired rocket system saw its development during the latter half of the 1990s as a successor to the 1980s-era 67mm "Armbrust" weapon (detailed elsewhere on this site) fulfilling the same battlefield role. West Germany initially brought the Armbrust along to which then its rights were sold off to Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) which later became ST Kinetics. The MATADOR is a joint weapon development between Germany, Singapore, and Israel (involving Dynamit Nobel Defence, the Defence Science and Technology Agency, and Rafael Advanced Systems respectively) and centered around a hard-hitting 90mm projectile effective against both moving armored targets as well as stationary fortified structures. In this way, the MATADOR system can be used to tackle the threat posed by modern Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) and provide a hard-hitting measure against concrete walls as a "bunker buster".

The MATADOR is also recognized under the designations of "Panzerfaust 90 (Pzf 90)" and "RGW 90". The MATADOR name is derived from the description of "Man-portable, Anti-Tank, Anti-DOoR".

In keeping pace with shoulder-fire, anti-tank weapon systems seen elsewhere, the MATADOR relies on a disposable launch tube design meaning it is an inherently ready-to-fire, single-shot weapon to be used by a sole infantryman. It holds a 3.2 feet overall length, a weight of 9 kilograms, and has optics support as well as an integrated trigger/pistol grip unit. A shoulder strap helps in transport of the weapon which allows the infantryman to retain a primary weapon.

As in the Armbrust design seen previously, the MATADOR's firing action utilizes a "counter weight" approach in which the forces of the exiting rocket at the muzzle are countered through a mass of shredded plastic jettisoned from the rear of the tube. This counter weight approach negates much of the recoil forces experienced in the firing action, reducing reliance on a complex and expensive recoil mechanism. The result is an anti-tank / anti-wall solution that allows the operator to fire within confined spaces - a useful quality for urban warfare environments. Additionally, the counter weight approach produces a more accurate weapon. The launch tube has a section of Picatinny rail for mounting night vision optics. The tube also provides a reflex sighting device and laser rangefinder improving reaction times and accuracy.

The MATADOR's baptism of fire came during Israeli Army actions during 2009's "Operation Cast Lead" in the Gaza Strip. As the enemy lacked armored vehicles, the weapon was primarily used for wall breaching actions. Due to the small back-blast footprint exhibited by the weapon, it proved itself useful in firing from confined spaces.

The MATADOR chambers a 90mm rocket projectile available in three distinct flavors - the multi-purpose MATADOR-MP, the wall-breaching MATADOR-WB variant (Explosively-Formed Ring warhead), and the bunker-busting MATADOR-AS (tandem warhead). Muzzle velocity reaches 820 feet-per-second with effective firing ranges out to 1,600 feet.

Current (as of 2015) users of the MATADOR system include the British Army, Israel, Germany, Singapore, Slovenia, and Vietnam.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
2000

Origin
Germany national flag graphic
Germany

Classification


90mm Man-Portable, Shoulder-Fired Rocket Launcher


Dynamit Nobel Defence - Germany / Rafael Advanced Defence Systems - Israel / DSTA - Singapore
(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of modern Germany National flag of Israel National flag of Singapore National flag of Slovenia National flag of Ukraine National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of Vietnam Germany; Israel; Singapore; Slovenia; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Vietnam
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Anti-Armor / Anti-Tank / Anti-Material
Designed to engage and defeat armor / enemy tanks at range.


MAN-PORTABLE
Despite its size / weight, the product can be transported by foot infantry.
ANTI-ARMOR
Inherent ability to engage / defeat armored targets at range.
BUNKER BUSTER
Ability to defeat fortified / reinforced structures.
SCOPE-CAPABLE / SIGHTING ASSIST
Supports mounting of optics (scopes) to aid in accuracy for ranged fire.


Overall Length
1,000 mm
39.37 in
Barrel Length
1,000 mm
39.37 in
Empty Wgt
19.62 lb
8.90 kg
Sights


Included Optics; Night-Vision Support.


Action


Single-Shot; Disposable Launch Tube

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)


Caliber(s)*


90mm

Sample Visuals**


Graphical image of a shoulder-fired rocket projectile
Rounds / Feed


Single-Shot
Cartridge relative size chart
*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.
Max Eff.Range
1,600 ft
(488 m | 533 yd)
Rate-of-Fire
1
rds/min
Muzzle Velocity
820 ft/sec
(250 m/sec)


MATADOR - Base Series Name.
Panzerfaust 90 (Pzf 90) - German Army designation.
RGW 90 - Slovenian Army designation.


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery



1 / 1
Image of the Dynamit Noble MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOor)
Photo by Zev Marmorstein as part of the IDF Spokesperson Unit; released December 4, 2012..


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)