Service History
| External images | |
|---|---|
| Viviane night sight | |
| Viviane fitted to Dauphin SA.361H | |
| Aerospatiale SA361H Dauphin fitted Viviane night sight and 8 HOT missiles | |
By 1975, development was complete and evaluations had been performed by various ministries of defence. Mass production commenced in 1976 and the first HOT missiles were fielded in 1978. A night-sight for firing from helicopters, the Viviane, was developed in the early 1980s. In 1985, the HOT-2 followed, with a multipurpose warhead variant called the HOT-2MP entering service in 1992. While less effective in terms of armor penetration, the HOT-2MP also produces fragmentation and incendiary effects.
By 1987, 1,434 launchers and 70,350 missiles had been produced. The HOT-3 was brought into service in 1998 and has a tandem shaped-charge HEAT warhead capable of breaching explosive reactive armor as well as improved anti-jamming capabilities. The HOT-3 was selected to be the missile armament of the Tiger attack helicopter for Germany at least until the PARS 3 LR becomes available.
The HOT has been used in combat in several wars, including the Iran-Iraq War, Lebanon, Chad, Western Sahara, the Gulf War of 1991, in Lebanon in May 2007 during the war with the Fatah al-Islam militants in the Nahr el-Bared camp north of Tripoli. Fired by Gazelle helicopters. And in 2011, also by French Gazelles helicopters, based on an assault carrier, assigned to the Nato Libyan operation, assisting the ani-Qaddafi forces, when Qaddafi force took up positions in urban populated areas to counter the effects of NATO fixed wing attcks.
Various reports state that the first combat use of the HOT was with the Iraqi Army during the Iran-Iraq War, launched from Panhard VCR/TH 6x6 wheeled armored vehicles fitted with the UTM-800 turret. Photos have also recorded captured examples of the VCR/TH in service with the Iranian Army.
Read more about this topic: HOT (missile)
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