Original U.S. Persian Gulf War Era M47 Dragon Anti-Tank Guided Missile Launcher Inert Electronic Training Device

Original item: One of a Kind. Well this is something we have not seen before! We initially assumed this was a spent / Inert M47 / FGM-77 launch tube, but it actually appears to be one that was converted by the U.S. Army into an electronic training device. The muzzle how has a large lens with laser warning stickers, and the base has had some heavy electronics installed. It is completely INERT, and it does not appear to have been used as a launcher, and instead was made using parts for training. The trainer itself measures about 46 inches in length, and is 6 inches wide at the muzzle, and expands to around 8 inches wide at the base.

It comes complete with the attached stand, which holds the muzzle about 28 inches above the ground, and it still has the foam protector around the base, though it has been modified for the electronics. It has various data labels still fully legible, and one on the left side identifies what this is:

U.S. ARMY
PROJECT MANAGER
TRAINING DEVICES
ORLANDO, FLORIDA

TRAINER, GUIDED MISSILE: AN/TWQ-T4
TRAINER ROUND

DVC. NO.          PART OF 07-79      
CONTR NO.     N61339-87-C-0056
DSGN ACT   18876  PN: 13364823
MFR. 723 14          SN: 94- 114396

We assume from this that it was probably constructed in 1994 under a 1987 contract, and it is our understanding that it was used with a large companion projector / computer unit device for training. We unfortunately were not able to find any pictures of this in use, though there are pictures showing training for the FGM-148 Javelin, the replacement for the Dragon. It has laser warnings on the front where the lens is, and there is also a DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE warning on the side by the data label. The rear has some substantial electrical hookups, as well as a multi-pin electronics connector.

Definitely an impressive display piece with some fantastic research potential!

Not Available For Export.

The M47 Dragon, known as the FGM-77 during development, is an American shoulder-fired, man-portable anti-tank guided missile system. It was phased out of U.S. military service in 2001, in favor of the newer FGM-148 Javelin system.

The M47 Dragon uses a wire-guidance system in concert with a high explosive anti-tank warhead and was capable of defeating armored vehicles, fortified bunkers, main battle tanks, and other hardened targets. While it was primarily created to defeat the Soviet Union's T-55, T-62, and T-72 tanks, it saw use well into the 1990s, seeing action in the Persian Gulf War. The U.S. military officially retired the weapon in 2001. The United States destroyed the last of its stocks of the missile in 2009. The weapon system remains in active service with other militaries around the world.

Used by the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as many foreign militaries, the M47 Dragon was first fielded in January 1975 to U.S. Army soldiers stationed in mainland Europe. The effective range of the Dragon was about 1,000 metres . This usually led to the operator tensing up in anticipation of the sudden explosion from the launcher that he knew was coming. The missile was discharged from the launcher tube by a "launch motor", which was a rocket motor that completely expended itself within the tube so as not to injure the operator with exhaust gas. The missile coasted away from the operator and a burning infrared flare was ignited at the rear of the missile.

After the missile was about 30 to 50 metres (100 to 160 ft) from the gunner, the missile was propelled forward and guided towards the target by three rows of thrusters aligned longitudinally along the missile body. It then was guided by the operator via a rapidly unraveling wire. Unfortunately the system worked better in theory than in actual use, and the problems increased with range. Even launching could be problematic, as the loss of 30 lbs of missile weight from the shoulder caused many soldiers to flinch badly enough to lose track of the target, resulting in a missile grounding.

The M47 Dragon was not particularly popular with U.S. soldiers. Because of the missile's relatively short range and signature 'popping' sound as the missile was propelled towards the target, M47 Dragon crews were expected to take heavy casualties in the event hostilities broke out between the United States and the Soviet Union in Europe.