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

90mm Man-Portable, Shoulder-Fired Rocket Launcher

Germany | 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; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Photo by Zev Marmorstein as part of the IDF Spokesperson Unit; released December 4, 2012..

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.

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Physical
The physical qualities of the Dynamit Noble MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOor). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,000 mm
39.37 in
O/A Length

1,000 mm
39.37 in
Barrel Length

19.62 lb
8.90 kg
Weight

Single-Shot; Disposable Launch Tube
Action

90mm
Caliber(s)

Single-Shot
Feed

Included Optics; Night-Vision Support.
Sights

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Dynamit Noble MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOor). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,600 ft
487.7 m | 533.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range

1
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

820 ft/sec
250 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Dynamit Noble MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOor) 90mm Man-Portable, Shoulder-Fired Rocket Launcher family line.

MATADOR - Base Series Name.

Panzerfaust 90 (Pzf 90) - German Army designation.

RGW 90 - Slovenian Army designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Dynamit Noble MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOor). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Dynamit Nobel Defence - Germany / Rafael Advanced Defence Systems - Israel / DSTA - Singapore

[ Germany; Israel; Singapore; Slovenia; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Vietnam ]

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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..

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to requirements.

ANTI-TANK/MATERIAL

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Going Further...
The Dynamit Noble MATADOR (Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOor) 90mm Man-Portable, Shoulder-Fired Rocket Launcher appears in the following collections:

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