MW-1 (Mehrzweckwaffe-1)
Multi-purpose weapons container.
Parallel to the development of the Tornado multirole aircraft, work began in the early 1970s on the design of the MW-1, which was to form one of the main weapon systems of the Tornado IDS machines intended for the German Luftwaffe. The development and subsequent production was carried out by Raketen Technik GmbH, a subsidiary of MBB (later DASA) and Diehl.
The MW-1 and its submunitions were primarily designed for these tasks:
- destruction of enemy military airfields (VPDs, taxiways, hangars, fuel depots and other partially hardened structures)
- destruction of large groups of armoured vehicles
The container is made up of four segments, each of which has 28 missiles (the whole container together 112) of 132 mm calibre. The submunitions are fired to both sides pyrotechnically. The container takes approximately 0.6 seconds to empty. Depending on the submunition used and the flight parameters, one container can cover an area 300 to 500 metres wide and 180 to 2 500 metres long. The MW-1 can be "emptied" as low as 60 metres above the ground at speeds of around 1 000 km/h.
The container can be equipped with the following types of submunitions:
KB-44 - anti-tank submunition (4,536 pieces can be carried in the container)
MIFF - anti-tank mine (896 pieces can be carried in the container)
MUSA - multi-purpose mine (668 pieces can be carried in a container, other sources say 672 or even 772)
MUSPA - multipurpose mine (668 pieces can be carried in a container, other sources say 672 or even 772)
STABO - anti-crete bomb (200 pieces can be transported in a container)
Additionally, the container can be filled with a "mixed" submunition composition known as:
- MIX 1 (2,184 KB-44 bombs and 448 min of MIFF)
- MIX 2 (508 min MUSPA, 96 MIFF and 88 MUSA)
After more than 15 years of conceptual studies and development work, mass production began in 1984. The first MW-1s began reaching Luftwaffe operational units late that year. Initially, 2,554 were planned to be purchased for the German Air Force. With the end of the Cold War, this figure was revised and by the end of 1994 a total of 844 (850 is also quoted) MW-1 containers had been produced for German needs.
The second and last user of MW-1 containers was the Italian Air Force. Deliveries of about 100 units began in 1987.
The container was not deployed in combat. One of its biggest drawbacks is the fact that it is designed to be suspended only on Tornado aircraft. By this time, the MW-1 is obsolete, and for the tasks it performs, stand-off category air armament would be used today.
Technical and tactical data
Dimensions:
- Length: 5 330 mm
- width: 1 320 mm
- height: 650 mm
Weight:
- Empty container: 1 200 kg
- container with submunition: 4 700 kg
Resources
1) Lennox, D. (editor): Jane′s Air-Launched Weapons (Issue 35), Coulsdon, 2000
2) BW-Flyer.de: MW-1 - Mehrzweckwaffe 1, 10.3. 2006
3) Krueger, A. W.: Tornado - Das Kampfflugzeug der NATO, Friedberg, 1981
4) Novotny, P.: VTR and the NATO Armed Forces, Air and Air Defence 3, ?/1987
Multi-purpose weapons container.
Parallel to the development of the Tornado multirole aircraft, work began in the early 1970s on the design of the MW-1, which was to form one of the main weapon systems of the Tornado IDS machines intended for the German Luftwaffe. The development and subsequent production was carried out by Raketen Technik GmbH, a subsidiary of MBB (later DASA) and Diehl.
The MW-1 and its submunitions were primarily designed for these tasks:
- destruction of enemy military airfields (VPDs, taxiways, hangars, fuel depots and other partially hardened structures)
- destruction of large groups of armoured vehicles
The container is made up of four segments, each of which has 28 missiles (the whole container together 112) of 132 mm calibre. The submunitions are fired to both sides pyrotechnically. The container takes approximately 0.6 seconds to empty. Depending on the submunition used and the flight parameters, one container can cover an area 300 to 500 metres wide and 180 to 2 500 metres long. The MW-1 can be "emptied" as low as 60 metres above the ground at speeds of around 1 000 km/h.
The container can be equipped with the following types of submunitions:
KB-44 - anti-tank submunition (4,536 pieces can be carried in the container)
MIFF - anti-tank mine (896 pieces can be carried in the container)
MUSA - multi-purpose mine (668 pieces can be carried in a container, other sources say 672 or even 772)
MUSPA - multipurpose mine (668 pieces can be carried in a container, other sources say 672 or even 772)
STABO - anti-crete bomb (200 pieces can be transported in a container)
Additionally, the container can be filled with a "mixed" submunition composition known as:
- MIX 1 (2,184 KB-44 bombs and 448 min of MIFF)
- MIX 2 (508 min MUSPA, 96 MIFF and 88 MUSA)
After more than 15 years of conceptual studies and development work, mass production began in 1984. The first MW-1s began reaching Luftwaffe operational units late that year. Initially, 2,554 were planned to be purchased for the German Air Force. With the end of the Cold War, this figure was revised and by the end of 1994 a total of 844 (850 is also quoted) MW-1 containers had been produced for German needs.
The second and last user of MW-1 containers was the Italian Air Force. Deliveries of about 100 units began in 1987.
The container was not deployed in combat. One of its biggest drawbacks is the fact that it is designed to be suspended only on Tornado aircraft. By this time, the MW-1 is obsolete, and for the tasks it performs, stand-off category air armament would be used today.
Technical and tactical data
Dimensions:
- Length: 5 330 mm
- width: 1 320 mm
- height: 650 mm
Weight:
- Empty container: 1 200 kg
- container with submunition: 4 700 kg
Resources
1) Lennox, D. (editor): Jane′s Air-Launched Weapons (Issue 35), Coulsdon, 2000
2) BW-Flyer.de: MW-1 - Mehrzweckwaffe 1, 10.3. 2006
3) Krueger, A. W.: Tornado - Das Kampfflugzeug der NATO, Friedberg, 1981
4) Novotny, P.: VTR and the NATO Armed Forces, Air and Air Defence 3, ?/1987
