9K111 Fagot

The 9K111 Fagot, known to NATO as AT-4 Spigot, was developed as a second-generation Soviet anti-tank guided missile system for infantry and vehicle use. It replaced heavier and more cumbersome earlier weapons with a tube-launched SACLOS system that could be carried by a small crew. Its arrival gave company-level units a practical way to threaten armored vehicles at stand-off distance.

Fagot missiles are launched from a portable ground unit and guided by keeping the sight on the target while command signals travel through the wire link. The launcher family could also support related missiles such as Konkurs in some variants. This made the system flexible, but it still required operator exposure and target tracking until impact.

Fagot systems were exported widely and remain visible in regional conflicts because the launcher is portable, stocks are large, and crews can adapt it to field conditions. Its continued use illustrates how older SACLOS missiles still matter when armored vehicles, fortified positions, and supply availability drive battlefield choices.