HOT missile

weapon

Also known as: haut subsonique optiquement téléguidé tiré d’un tube, high-subsonic, optically teleguided, tube-fired missile(Show More)

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

A HOT missile is a type of heat-seeking weapon designed to track and destroy targets by following their heat signatures. These guided missiles are a product of post-World War II advancements in electronics and sensors.12

The HOT missile, specifically, is a high-subsonic, optically teleguided, tube-fired weapon. It is similar in concept and capability to other antitank missiles like the TOW and Milan. These missiles are crucial in modern warfare for their ability to accurately engage targets from a distance, often launched from vehicles or helicopters.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

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rocket and missile system
Antitank and guided assault
…“light infantry antitank missile”) and HOT (haut subsonique optiquement téléguidé tiré d’un tube, or “high-subsonic, optically teleguided, tube-fired”) were similar in concept and capability to TOW.
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…“light infantry antitank missile”) and HOT (haut subsonique optiquement téléguidé tiré d’un tube, or “high-subsonic, optically teleguided, tube-fired”) were similar in concept and capability to TOW.
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tactical weapons system
Surface-to-surface systems
TOW or the Franco-German HOT, a wire unreels behind the missile and the operator signals course corrections to a control mechanism inside the missile as it flies. Other missiles are guided by radio, infrared, and laser beams. The U.S. Copperhead is a laser-guided artillery projectile fired from a conventional…
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TOW or the Franco-German HOT, a wire unreels behind the missile and the operator signals course corrections to a control mechanism inside the missile as it flies. Other missiles are guided by radio, infrared, and laser beams. The U.S. Copperhead is a laser-guided artillery projectile fired from a conventional…
Read More