Profile
- Type
- Laser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile system
- Conflict side
- Russiapro-Russian separatistsUkraine (captured)
- Origin
- Russia
- Service note
- 1990s-present service
Infantry Weapons
9M133 Kornet
The 9M133 Kornet is a Russian heavy anti-tank guided missile system using laser beam-riding guidance and tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads. Developed by KBP as a portable and vehicle-integrated ATGM family, it appears in the Russia-Ukraine War as a Russian-origin system documented with pro-Russian forces and also captured by Ukrainian troops.
- Conflict side
- Russiapro-Russian separatistsUkraine (captured)
- Built by
- KBP Instrument Design Bureau
- Built in
- Russia
Service History
- In service
- Introduced in the 1990s; still fielded in Kornet-E and Kornet-EM family variants
- Used by
- Russian Armed Forces, Pro-Russian separatist forces, Ukrainian Armed Forces (captured examples)
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- KBP Instrument Design Bureau
- Designed
- Late 1980s-1990s
- Built by
- KBP Instrument Design Bureau
- Built in
- Russia
- Variants
- 9M133-1 Kornet-E, 9M133F-1 thermobaric missile, 9M133M-2 Kornet-EM, 9P163-1 portable launcher, 9P163-2 vehicle-mounted launcher
Specifications
- Guidance
- Automatic or semi-automatic laser beam-riding guidance
- Range
- 100-5,500 m for Kornet-E missiles; up to 8,000 m anti-tank or 10,000 m thermobaric for Kornet-EM missiles
- Warhead
- Tandem HEAT or thermobaric missile options
- Armor penetration
- About 1,000-1,200 mm RHA behind ERA for Kornet-E; about 1,100-1,300 mm for Kornet-EM
- Crew
- Typically 2-3 soldiers for portable operation
- Launcher weight
- About 26 kg for the Kornet-E launcher unit
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Russiapro-Russian separatistsUkraine (captured)
Kornet ATGWs were documented with pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine in 2014-2015, and Ukrainian marines reported seizing a Kornet ATGM abandoned by Russian forces in southern Ukraine in October 2022.
Related Weapon Systems
9K111 FagotMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K111 Fagot, known to NATO as the AT-4 Spigot, is a Soviet man-portable SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system built around the 9P135 tripod launcher and 9M111 missile family. Its compact launcher, vehicle-mount compatibility, and 2 to 2.5 km range kept it relevant for legacy users, including Russian anti-tank teams documented in the Russia-Ukraine War.
9K115 MetisMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K115 Metis is a Soviet/Russian man-portable, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family developed for company-level infantry anti-armor fire. The original AT-7 Saxhorn system emphasized a light launcher and short-range portability, while the later 9K115-2 Metis-M and Metis-M1 variants use larger 130 mm missiles, tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads, and ranges up to 2 km. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian forces have been documented using the upgraded AT-13 Saxhorn-2 / Metis-M variant against Ukrainian armor.
9M113 KonkursSACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missileThe 9M113 Konkurs, NATO reporting name AT-5 Spandrel, is a Soviet wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family built for infantry launchers and vehicle mounts such as BMP-series vehicles and the BRDM-2-based 9P148. Its SACLOS guidance, 135 mm missile body, and 4 km class engagement range kept it useful after the Cold War, including documented employment in the Russia-Ukraine War by Ukrainian-aligned forces and Russian units.
BGM-71 TOWHeavy anti-tank guided missileThe BGM-71 TOW is a U.S. heavy anti-tank guided missile built around tube launch, optical tracking, and command guidance through a wire or later radio-frequency link. Developed by Hughes and now produced and upgraded by Raytheon, it can be fired from dismounted launchers, HMMWVs, Bradley and Stryker vehicles, light armored vehicles, and helicopters, giving infantry and vehicle crews a long-range precision anti-armor weapon. In the Russia-Ukraine War, U.S. security assistance packages sent TOW missiles to Ukraine as part of the anti-armor mix used to offset Russian armored forces.
FGM-148 JavelinAnti-tank guided missileA portable anti-armor missile known for top-attack profiles and fire-and-forget guidance. It became a symbol of early international military support to Ukraine.
MILANMan-portable anti-tank guided missileMILAN is a Franco-German, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile built around a reusable launch post and disposable missile round. Designed for infantry anti-armor teams, the SACLOS system requires the operator to keep the sight on target while guidance commands travel through a wire link. France has documented MILAN systems among the anti-tank weapons delivered to Ukraine for the Russia-Ukraine War.Sources
KORNET-EM Anti-Tank Guided Missile SystemPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Official export page supporting Kornet-EM family background, guidance method, range, armor-piercing capability, thermal sight, and launcher configuration claims. | Accessed: 2026-06-20AT-14 Spriggan 9M133 Kornet-E Kornet-EMPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Reference page supporting KBP manufacturer attribution, Kornet-E role, variants, crew, launcher weight, warhead, penetration, and range details. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Further evidence of 9K135 Kornet ATGWs found in UkrainePublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Direct Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use source documenting 9K135 Kornet ATGWs and 9M133 missile remnants associated with pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Marines capture Russia's Kornet ATGM in Ukraine's SouthPublisher: Ukrainska Pravda | Note: Directly supports the October 2022 Russia-Ukraine War note that Ukrainian marines seized a Kornet ATGM abandoned by Russian forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:9M133 Kornet.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the Kornet-E photograph; listed as own work under CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL. | Accessed: 2026-06-20