RBS 56 BILL Anti-tank guided missile

[Zarvan]

The unorthodox BILL anti-tank missile is one of the most advanced and powerful weapons in its class



Country of origin Sweden
Entered service 1988
Armor penetration 550 mm
Range 150 to 2 200 m
Missile launch weight 10.5 kg
Missile weight in container 20 kg
Firing unit weight (with stand and sights) 27 kg
Missile length 900 mm
Launch tube length 900 mm
Missile diameter 150 mm
Warhead type angled HEAT (tandem angled HEAT in BILL 2)
Guidance Wire-guided


The RBS 56 BILL (an acronym of "Bofors Infantry, Light and Lethal") is a man-portable anti tank guided missile developed in Sweden by the Bofors firm. It is now a product of Saab Bofors Dynamics.

Development of the BILL was initiated in 1979. The project proceeded smoothly, and the Swedish Army began field trials of the BILL in 1985. Satisfied with the new weapon, the Swedish Army officially accepted it into service in 1988. During this timeframe, Bofors also began marketing the BILL abroad.

The BILL is primarily employed as a dismounted weapon, although it is also operationally launched from vehicle-based launchers. It is unknown if the BILL can be operationally launched from helicopters.

The complete portable launcher for the BILL consists of a tripod, a missile in its container, and a sighting unit. Both day and infrared night sights are available, with the day sight having a 1x magnification, and the night sight having a 7x magnification. The tripod weighs 11.8 kg, while the unlaunched missile weighs 20 kg (10.5 kg in flight), the day sight weighs 6.0 kg, and the night sight weighs 8.5 kg. The BILL is loaded into a disposable launch container, which is typically capped on either end with disposable rubber pads, giving the unused munition a dumbbell-like appearance.

Like most ATGMs, the fuselage of the BILL is long and cylindrical, with a tapered, rounded, conical nose. The fins are fully retracted inside the fuselage, and extend instantly as the missile is launched; they are long, narrow, and swept, and are arranged in staggered crucifix patterns, with the forward fins being noticeably longer and more steeply-swept. Operating temperatures are from -30°C to +60°C, and the missile in its container is rated for a shelf life is approximately 15 years.

The propulsion of the BILL is a 2-stage system. The first is a compressed gas charge, which is expended instantly when the missile is launched; this enormously reduces the danger area and visual signature of the backblast. The missile leaves the tube at a velocity of approximately 72 m/sec, and immediately after launch, a solid fuel rocket sustainer motor activates, propelling the BILL to a velocity of 250 m/sec. The sustainer motor's fuel is exhausted once the missile has flown a distance of about 400 m, leaving it to fly to the target by glide and inertia. Flight time to maximum range is approximately 17 seconds.

The BILL is a wire-guided missile, and employs a Semi-Automatic Command Line Of Sight (SACLOS) interface. The user simply lines-up the sights on a given target, and the missile's flight path aligns itself with the axis of those sights. This system is very easy to operate; and renders the missile completely passive and invulnerable to jamming; however, the flight and guidance performance of the BILL are artificially limited by the mechanical tolerances of the cable, and missile guidance cables have also been known to snag on terrain obstacles, such as bushes, fences, and electrical towers.

The warhead used in this missile is its most distinct feature, particularly as it was the first operational ATGM to employ it. Rather than being fired nose-on toward the target at as oblique an angle as possible, like most other ATGMs, the BILL is designed to overfly armored vehicles and attack them from above, at a height of approximately 0.75 m. The warhead is angled 30 degrees downward, to penetrate the roof armor (which is never more than an inch thick on any AFV, nor made of exotic alloys or arrays). Not only does this maximize the BILL's lethality against tanks, but it also allows it to easily attack armored vehicles hiding behind cover.

A later version of the BILL, the RBS 56B BILL 2, has a new tandem shaped charge munition with a precursor warhead, capable of defeating ERA. More significantly, it also has three different "firing modes" to increase its effectiveness against a wider array of threats. In Mode 1 (Basic Mode), the BILL 2 performs much the same as the original BILL, and is most effective against heavy armor. In Mode 2 (non-armoured target more), the BILL 2's sensors are disabled, and it attacks targets directly without the "top attack" capability. In Mode 3 (soft target mode), the magnetic sensor in the BILL 2's warhead is disabled, so only the optical sensor will detonate the warhead; by detonating well above the target, the warhead's effectiveness against soft targets and area targets is increased. Moreover, Mode 3's programming is designed to be tailored to the requirements of the end user.

Since the introduction of the BILL 2, the original missile is retroactively known as the BILL 1. To date, neither has been actively employed in combat.

Known operators of the BILL 1 include Austria, Brazil, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden. The BILL 2 has been used by Austria, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden. According to the manufacturer, there are a total of 4 current operators of the BILL 2.

By 1996, over 15 000 BILL 1 missiles had been manufactured. Production of the BILL 1 was phased-out in the late 1990s, and it was replaced in production by the BILL 2. As of early 2016, the BILL 2 remains in production, and is still actively marketed. The unit costs of the BILL 1 and BILL 2 have not been released to the general public.



Variants



RBS 56A BILL 1: Original production model.

RBS 56B BILL 2: Improved RBS 56A BILL 1 with multiple firing modes.

PAL 2000: The Panzerabwehrlenkwaffe PAL 2000 Bill is a BILL 2 manufactured under license in Austria. It is used only by the Austrian armed forces.



Launch Platforms



BUA: The BUA ("BILL Under Armor") is a turret with a 3-tube launcher for the BILL, designed to be mounted atop an AFV. It has been demonstrated on an MT-LB chassis, but no sales have been forthcoming.

Pbv 3023: Pbv 302-based Tank Destroyer, with a single BILL launch tube. Used only by Sweden.

Pvbv 2063: Bv 206-based Tank Destroyer, with a single BILL launch tube. Used by Sweden, and possibly other nations.

CV9040 BILL: CV9040-based IFV prototype with a BILL launcher added to the turret. Did not enter production.

M113: A launcher for the BILL has also been demonstrated on an M113-based chassis. It is not clear if this vehicle has entered service.

RBS 56 BILL Anti-Tank Guided Missile | Military-Today.com

 

[Zarvan]

 

[Maarkhoor]

ToW missile is lot better then this....

 

[C130]

I get the magnetic sensor, but how does the optical sensor work??

 

[acetophenol]

I get the magnetic sensor, but how does the optical sensor work??

The optical sensor on the sight keeps on monitoring the light source on the flying missile with respect to the target (or where ever the optical sight on the launcher is pointed at) and generates and sends electrical signals to the control surfaces of the missile to guide it.

So a line of sight is maintained at the target and missile is oriented around it. We can see wire guided missiles kinda moving in a small spiral around the diameter of the line of sight.

^^^^1.Target on Sight

^^^^2. Missile Launched

^^^^3. Missile approaching target

^^^^4. Optical sensor at the sight maintaining the missile 'in and around' the line of sight @C130

 

[Penguin]

Pansarvarn RBS 56 BILL
Bill 2

@C130:

Pansarvarn RBS 56 BILL

The Bofors BILL 2 multi-mission guided weapon is a further development of the highly successful BILL system. In BILL 2 Bofors has refined the Overfly Top-attack technology (OTA), already proven to be the only effective tank killing method for the future, enhanced the capability with a dual-warhead, and created new modes for different target types such as non-armoured vehicles and soft targets.

In the Basic Mode the missile flies 1.05 meters above the Line-Of-Sight and attacks the target from above, avoiding the heavily protected frontal arc. And to increase combat flexibility the gunner has two more firing modes at his command. The warhead arrangement, with its vertically striking shaped charges, compensated for dynamic effects, have demonstrated BILL 2's very high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP). Any MBT, old or new, whether equipped with the most advanced add-on/integrated protection or not, will be effectively and immediately put out-of-action. The effective combat range for both static and moving targets is 150-2,200 meters and the flight time at maximum range is 13 seconds.

BILL 2 has a SACLOS guidance system and the missile is wire-guided. The guidance system contains a flight simulator with a computerised model in the sight, simulating the whole target engagement. A parallel engagement simulation in real time is created via the continuous comparisons made between simulation and reality, using processed in-put signals from the missile tracker and the angle indicator. The laser beacon in the aft of the missile transmits individually coded laser signals back to the sight (missile tracker), making the system immune to jamming. The missile system incorporates both an interactive, dual-purpose sensor system and an impact fuze.

The Warhead Initiation Function consists of: Optical sensor; Magnetic sensor; Impact fuze; and Proximity fuze algorithms. The optical sensor is, in effect, a range finder, which measures the distance from the missile to the surface below, profiling it simultaneously. And as the transmitting signal is coded, the optical sensor is in-possible to jam. The magnetic sensor measures the characteristic signatures from specifically defined metallic objects and discriminates whether they are relevant or non-relevant. The inertial impact fuze is used for direct attack.

The gunner can select any of the three firing modes before missile launch: Basic Mode; Non-Armoured Target Mode; and Soft Target Mode. In the basic mode all sensors are activated and the missile flies with an elevated flight path with warhead initiation algorithms optimised for the BILL 2 defined threat. In the non-armoured target mode all sensors are disconnected and the missile flies on the Line-Of-Sight using the Impact Fuze function. In the Soft Target Mode the Magnetic Sensor is disconnected and only the Optical Sensor activated and the missile flies with an elevated flight path with special warhead initiation algorithms.

BILL Night Sight is an add-on thermal imaging night sight, primarily for use with the BILL portable medium-range anti-tank missile system, made by Bofors Missiles and intended for use in darkness and under poor visibility situations. The Bill Night Sight is mounted on top of a day-sight with the thermal picture mirrored into the front lens of the day-sight.

Specifications
Performance
Guidance system: SACLOS, wire-guidance
Effective Combat Range (stationary and moving target): 150 - 2.200 m
Operational temperature: -30 degrees C – +60 degrees C
Shelf life >15 years

Weights
Day Sight: 6.0 kg
Thermal Imaging System: 8.5 kg
Tripod: 11.8 kg
Missile in launch tube: 20.0 kg
Missile in flight :10.5 kg

Magnification
Day sight: x7
Thermal Imaging System: x1

Time-of-flight
150 m: 1.3 sec
300 m: 2.1 sec
1,000 m: 5.2 sec
1,500 m: 7.9 sec
2,000 m: 11.4 sec
2,200 m: 13.0 sec

http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/rbs56-bill.htm

Simplified: If distance to surface below suddenly reduces by, say, 2m, while missile flight height was not changed, and the magnetic sensor indicates a metallic opbject, you've essentially moved over a target and its time to fire the warheads. You have 2 warhead, one at an angle and the other one straight down, that fire in rapid succession onto the same point (this defeating ERA on top)

Hence