| 9K114 Shturm | |
|---|---|
 9K114 Shturm ATGM | |
| Type | ATGM |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Soviet Union Russia Ukraine |
| Wars | Soviet-Afghan War Russian invasion of Ukraine[1] |
| Production history | |
| Developed into | 9M120 Ataka |
| Specifications | |
| Effective firing range | 400 m to 5 km |
9K114Shturm[2] (Russian:9К114 «Штурм»,lit. 'Assault') – is aSACLOS radio guidedanti-tank missile system of theSoviet Union. ItsGRAU designation is9K114.[3] ItsNATO reporting name isAT-6Spiral. The missile itself is known as the9M114 Kokon (Cocoon).
The missile called 9M114 Kokon (Cocoon) was developed by theKolomna Machine Design Bureau, which was also responsible for the3M6 Shmel and9M14 Malyutka. Work on the missile began in 1967, with the hope of using the missile on Mi-24s. However, delays forced the design of an upgraded Falanga system (9M17 Skorpion) usingSACLOS guidance as a stopgap. Testing of the missile was completed in 1974, and it was accepted into service in 1976. The missile has no direct western counterpart; in role it is similar to theTOW andHOT missiles which entered service around the same time, though the Shturm has greater weight, speed, and range.
It was originally given the NATO designationAS-8, before being redesignated as AT-6.[4]
The missile can be deployed on a variety of platforms, including theMi-24V and from 1979-onwards theMT-LB based 9P149tank destroyer. There is also a shipborne version of the missile, with the launcher holding six missiles.
The missile is transported and launched from a glass-reinforced plastic tube. The missile uses a Soyuz NPO solid-rocket sustainer, with a small booster stage to launch the missile from its tube.
The missile isSACLOS with a radio command link. The use of a radio link allows the missile to travel much faster and further than if it were wire guided. The radio link is aVHF system with five frequency bands and two codes to minimize the risk of jamming. The system comprises aKPS-53AV 8× daylight-only direct vision sight with an integratedlaser rangefinder. After the missile is launched, the gunner has to keep the sight's crosshairs on the target until impact. Appropriate steering commands are transmitted to the missile via the radio link.
The missile flies above the gunner's line of sight to the target. With the range of the target determined by the laser rangefinder, the missile descends onto the target just before impact. This is done primarily to clear obstacles, instead of achieving a top-attack, and can be switched off. It is possible to engage low and slow moving helicopters with the system; however, since the missile only has a contactfuze, a direct hit would be needed.
The first use of the missile was during theSoviet-Afghan War, where it was employed in the later stages of the war. By this time the Mujahideen had got access to more advanced anti aircraft weapons that forced Mi-24 pilots to adopt standoff tactics using the missile to increase survivability. Sources report kill ratios of 75–85% during the war. Also aMil demonstration in Sweden in late 1995 using anMi-28A firing Shturm andAtaka missiles also showed good results: from a hovering helicopter, a Shturm was fired at a target 900 m away; and from level flight at 200 km/h an Ataka was fired at a target 4,700 m away. Both missiles passed within 1 m of their aiming point.[5] Other countries such asIraq andSyria attempted to procure the missile in the 1980s but the Soviet Union did not export the system outside of the Warsaw Pact, fearing it might fall into western hands viaIran orIsrael.
In 2014, a modernized variant, the 9K132 Shturm-SM, was adopted by the Russian army, featuring a sight with television and thermal channels as well as a new missile with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead and a proximity fuse.[6]
Armenia – 13 9P149 as of 2023.[10]: 171 
Azerbaijan[11]
Belarus– 85 9P149 as of 2023.[10]: 174 
Hungary[10]: 102 – installed onMi-24 helicopters.
Iran – installed inMi-17sh helicopters.[12]
Iraq[10]: 329 - installed inMi-35M helicopters.
Indonesia – installed inMi-35P attack helicopters[12]
India – Deal for 800 missiles signed in June 2019 at the cost of₹200crore (equivalent to₹249 crore or US$29 million in 2023). Installed onMi-35 helicopters.[13]
Kazakhstan[14] – 6 9P149 as of 2023.[10]: 179 
Russia – used by Army units and Marines.[10]: 185, 190 
Serbia
Turkmenistan – 36 9P149 as of 2023.[10]: 200 
Ukraine[15][10]: 202 (Theseparatist forces battling theUkrainian army in theWar in Donbas have also been documented to have used the weapon.[15])
Brazil – installed onMi-35M helicopters.[12] Withdrawn from service after theBrazilian Air Force retired its Mi-35 attack helicopters.[16]
Croatia – obtained withMi-24 attack helicopters from an unknown supplier and displayed at the Poseidon '94 military exercise.[17][18] Withdrawn from service.
Moldova[19]: 188 – withdrawn from service.
Poland – used onMi-24 andPZL W-3 Sokół helicopters.[12][20] Retired.
Soviet Union[21]: 37 – passed on to successor states.