HOT anti-tank guided missile

HOT is a Franco-German wire-guided anti-tank missile family developed by Euromissile and later associated with MBDA. Built for vehicle and helicopter launchers, it gave platforms such as the Gazelle and VAB Mephisto a semi-automatic command-guided missile for anti-armor, anti-vehicle, and point-target fire support; in the Mali War archive it is documented through French Gazelle HOT employment during Operation Serval.

Mali WarMalian government and international forces

Conflict side: Malian government and international forces
Built by: EuromissileMBDA
Built in: France and Germany

HOT anti-tank guided missile, Wire-guided anti-tank guided missile, Munitions

Image source: Euromissile HOT at Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace

Profile

Type: Wire-guided anti-tank guided missile
Conflict side: Malian government and international forces
Origin: France and West Germany
Service note: Cold War-era missile family still fielded from vehicles and helicopters in later conflicts

ATGM anti-tank precision fireswire-guided

Service History

In service: Operational from the late 1970s on ground vehicles and helicopters
Used by: French Army Light Aviation, French Army
Wars: Mali War

Production History

Designer: Nord Aviation and Bolkow
Designed: 1960s-1970s development
Built by: EuromissileMBDA
Built in: France and Germany
Unit cost: Not consistently published
Produced: From the late 1970s
Number built: More than 80,000 missiles reported sold
Variants: HOT-1, HOT-2, HOT-2MP, HOT-3

Specifications

Guidance: Wire-guided SACLOS
Launch platforms: Ground vehicles and helicopters, including VAB Mephisto and SA.342 Gazelle integrations
Range: 75 m to 4.0 km for HOT-1/HOT-2; up to 4.3 km for HOT-3
Missile weight: About 23.5 kg for HOT-1/HOT-2 and 24.5 kg for HOT-3
Warhead: HEAT or tandem HEAT, depending on variant
Speed: About 864 km/h
Dimensions: About 1.27-1.30 m long with 0.31 m wingspan

Conflict Usage

Mali War: Side: Malian government and international forcesRole: Helicopter-launched anti-vehicle firesanti-tank close air support precision fires
During Operation Serval, a French account reported Gazelle HOT helicopters engaged with a MUJWA katiba in southern fighting while combined French, Malian, and Chadian forces operated against jihadist armed groups.

HOT anti-tank guided missile Images

HOT anti-tank guided missile, Wire-guided anti-tank guided missile, Munitions - view 1 — Source: Euromissile HOT at Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace

HOT anti-tank guided missile, Wire-guided anti-tank guided missile, Munitions - view 2 — Source: Long Range Anti-tank Weapon HOT 3

HOT anti-tank guided missile, Wire-guided anti-tank guided missile, Munitions - view 3 — Source: Euromissile HOT at Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace

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Sources

HOT System ProfilePublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports HOT variant background, SACLOS wire-guided operation, launch platforms, range, speed, warhead, and dimensional specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 HOT Weapon RecordPublisher: Deagel | Note: Supports Euromissile-to-MBDA manufacturer background, France/Germany origin, production scale, platform integrations, and core missile specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Operation Serval: A Memoir of War, Mali 2013Publisher: Army University Press | Note: Supports Mali War direct-use claim: used by French forces when Gazelle HOT helicopters were reported engaged with a MUJWA katiba during Operation Serval. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Euromissile HOT at Musee de l'Air et de l'EspacePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for the primary HOT missile image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Long Range Anti-tank Weapon HOT 3Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and GFDL/CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for a HOT 3 display image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 VAB Mephisto Firing HOT MissilePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for a HOT missile firing image from a VAB Mephisto vehicle. | Accessed: 2026-06-22