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Missile launcher

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Ranged Close Combat

This article covers both missile and rocket launchers.

A Missile Launcher fires self-propelled guided projectiles that usually contain explosive, chemical, or destructive energy warheads. Missiles may use a chemical rocket, jet engine, or something more esoteric such as an anti-gravity drive, for propulsion.[Needs Citation]

A Rocket Launcher fires unguided, self-propelled projectiles. They contain the same types of warheads as a missile. Usually rockets are propelled by an exothermic chemical reaction, but this does not preclude other forms of propulsion.[Needs Citation]

Types

Imperial Missile Launchers

Astartes Missile Launcher (Soundstrike-Pattern)
Astartes Multiple Missile Launcher Proteus-Pattern[9]
Imperial Guard Missile Launcher team

Missile Launchers

The standard Locke-pattern[10] Imperial missile launcher has a built in targeting device and is fired from the shoulder. It is a single round weapon and cannot be fired on the move. Standard Imperial Guard doctrine is for one man to carry aim and fire the missile launcher, whilst a second man carries the ammunition and re-loads the weapons. A well-drilled fire team can maintain a formidable rate of fire, enough to daunt the bravest of tank commanders. Amongst the Imperial Guard, missile launchers are crew-served weapons, while Space Marines are strong enough to use and reload missile launchers alone.[Needs Citation]

Patterns

Infantry Portable
  • Soundstrike Pattern: The Soundstrike-pattern missile launcher is an alternative to the standard single-tube missile launcher used by Space Marines. The Soundstrike attaches a special missile rack and auto-loader to a backpack power unit. As the Space Marine fires his missiles, the auto-loader's gripping claw works rapidly to refill the launcher from the back-mounted missile rack. In effect, the Space Marine can fire his choice of missile without interruption until the missile rack is empty. A more compact version of the Soundstrike, the MK.V, is used by the Dark Angels.[13]
  • Proteus Pattern: A heavy ancient design dating back to the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, it was capable of firing multiple missiles in quick succession and was used exclusively by the Legiones Astartes. Today, it still sees sparse service in some Space Marine Chapter's.[9]
  • Armourbane Missile Launcher: The armourbane missile launcher is a launcher unique to the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach. A squat, wide-barreled launcher half as tall as a Space Marine, specializing in dealing with heavily-armoured ground units, this launcher is typically loaded with hunter-killer krak missiles and fitted with an array of augurs and special cogitators to guide its missiles to their targets, and is more efficient than a Soundstrike missile launcher. The mounted special augur array combines the benefits of a preysense sight and a red-dot laser sight.[6]
  • Retobi Pattern Missile Launcher: The ancient Retobi-pattern missile launcher loads from a five-round clip. While it has a faster rate of fire, Retobi-pattern launchers are less precise and much more awkward to handle and fire[10].
  • Achillan Mk III "Tread Fether" Missile Launcher: Compact missile launched by Imperial Guard teams.
  • Accatran Pattern Missile Launcher: Compact launcher used by Elysian Drop Troops.[5]
  • Thunderbolt Pattern Missile Launcher: Used by the Space Wolves[14]
  • Cyclone Missile Launcher: Used by Space Marine Terminators
Vehicle/Artillery

Imperial Munitions Types

Frag, Krak, and Flakk Missiles[8]
  • Frag Missiles are designed to explode on impact with any surface, raking the immediate area with lethal shrapnel. Primarily an anti-infantry weapon, it can be used against light vehicles with some success. Frag missiles are often ineffective against heavy infantry.[Needs Citation]
  • Krak Missiles are primarily designed as anti-vehicle weapons, but are also very effective against heavy infantry, bunkers and other armored targets. Krak missiles contain a high strength, low blast shaped charge, causing massive damage to anything it hits with minimal collateral damage.[Needs Citation]
  • Astartes Anti-Plant Missiles are a stronger variant of anti-plant missiles. They release a vicious cocktail of toxins, viral agents, defoliants, and anti-fungal agents on detonation that reduce even the heartiest flora to a foul-smelling muck in minutes. They are typically used to deny cover and to clear landing zones and fortification sites[7].
  • Concussion Missiles are very effective at breaking up fortifications and are much beloved by the Battle-Brothers of the Imperial Fists garrisoned at Watch Station Erioch[7].
  • Flakk Missiles are surface-to-air warheads designed to engage enemy air support[8].
  • Nightlight Missiles — this relatively small (usually 2-3 metres long) missiles usually fired into the sky where they explode, fully illuminating the nearby area. They could be used even in daylight - as prearranged signals.[15]
  • Other Types: missiles are extremely versatile and can potentially carry any conceivable type of payload. Examples include Anti-Plant, Virus, Vortex, Smoke, Gas, Tanglefoot, Haywire, Stasis, Plasma and Photon Flash.[Needs Citation]

Ork

An Ork Rokkit Launcha.[5]

Rokkit Launcha

A Rokkit Launcha is a very simple weapon often used by Orks against armoured vehicles.[4]

Other Types

Eldar

Eldar Missile Launcher.

Eldar Missile Launcher

The Eldar Missile Launcher is the standard missile weapon for Eldar ground forces. Instead of the primitive launching-tubes favoured by the Imperium, they use complex chambered pods designed to contain several types of ammo such as krak and plasma warheads, greatly decreasing the need to reload[3]. The ammunition held in its internal magazines is in fact so compact that they can fit scores of ordinance inside a single launcher.[12] While portable, they are most commonly mounted on Grav Platforms and Eldar vehicles.[Needs Citation]

Reaper Launcher

The Eldar Aspect Warriors known as Dark Reapers carry missile launchers known as Reaper Launchers capable of rapidly firing armoured-piercing missiles.[Needs Citation]

Tempest Launcher

The Tempest Launcher is a multiple missile launcher that has indirect fire capability. It is fielded by Dark Reaper Exarchs.[Needs Citation]

Other Types

Dark Eldar

Chaos Space Marines Missile Launchers

Chaos Space Marine Missile Launcher

Chaos Space Marines carry a mix of issued pre-Heresy and modern Imperial missile launchers taken from defeated foes. All Chaos missile launchers operate the same as the Imperial launchers, though they also use Havoc Launchers.

Tau

Tau ranged weapon technology is more advanced than that of the Imperium. This includes Missile Launcher technology, however the Tau army is organized such that standard troopers do not carry Missile Launchers like other races. Instead the two varieties of missile launchers available to the Tau are carried on Battlesuits. [Needs Citation]

Missile Pods

Missile Pods are mounted on the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits and come as standard on the XV-81 and the XV-84. Missile pods are medium range, rapid-fire missiles slightly less powerful than Imperial krak missiles. A combination of their size and the Battlesuits they are mounted on, a missile pod can be fired on the move.[Needs Citation]

Smart Missile System

Smart Missile Systems are the pinnacle of battlesuit missile technology. Medium strength and capable of very rapid fire (twice as fast as missile pods), the Smart Missile System is so high tech it does not require a line of sight to its target. Instead each missile fired contains a sophisticated guidance system allowing it to maneuver around obstacles and terrain and hit and impact upon a target without risk to the firer. Due to its size, the Smart Missile System can only be mounted on the bulky Broadside Battlesuit and cannot be fired on the move (without an additional stabilizing upgrade).[Needs Citation]

Other Types

Related Articles

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