M47 Dragon
A Company "Gators"
September 2, 1998
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The Dragon was a medium range, wire-guided (guidance of
missile to target is controlled by a thin wire), line-of-sight anti-tank/assault missile weapon capable of defeating armored vehicles, fortified bunkers, concrete gun emplacements and other hard targets. It was designed to be carried and fired by an individual gunner. The launch tube served as the storage and carrying case for the missile. |
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The Dragon system contained a launcher, tracker and missile.
The launcher was an expendable, smooth bore, fiberglass tube with tracker and support bipod, battery, sling, and front and back shock absorbers. |
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The warhead power of Dragon made it possible for a single
soldier to defeat armored vehicles, fortified bunkers, concrete gun emplacements, or other hard targets. The Dragon used a cone-shaped charge for maximum penetration, and the wire guidance allowed the gunner to hit his target by keeping the cross hairs on the target until detonation. |
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The missile was installed in the launcher during final
assembly by the manufacturer and was received in a ready-to-fire condition. The launcher consisted of a smoothbore fiber- glass tube, breech/gas generator, tracker and support, bipod, battery, sling, and forward and aft shock absorbers. Non-integral day and night sights were required to utilize the Dragon. The launcher was expendable. The day and night tracker sights could be reused. |
