The IT-1 emerged from Soviet experiments with missile-armed tanks intended to defeat armor at ranges where guided weapons promised better accuracy and penetration than contemporary guns.
IT-1 “Drakon”. Primary reference image for this archive profile. Source date: 2015-07-25 15:06:15.Vitaly V. Kuzmin; CC BY-SA 3.0Image source
Rolemissile tank / ATGM carrier
Main weapon / system3M7 Drakon antitank guided missile
Platform / layoutT-62-derived chassis and turret
MediaPrimary image integrated
Development and design
Its launcher was hidden inside the turret during travel and raised for firing, with missiles carried internally. Removing the conventional main gun created a dead zone at short range and left the vehicle dependent on a specialized guidance system. 1, 2
Operational use
Only limited numbers entered service and the type had a short operational life. Missile minimum range, ammunition limitations, specialized maintenance, and the continuing flexibility of gun tanks all worked against wider adoption. 1, 2
Role and significance
IT-1 is important as a genuine fielded missile tank, not merely a prototype, and as evidence that guided missiles were tested as replacements for tank guns before armies settled mostly on missiles as complementary weapons. 1, 2
Sources and further reading
Representative source set used for this profile. Primary image source and reuse terms are listed with the image.
_Tank_Destroyer_(37646985612).jpg){kind=link}