Brilliant Anti-Tank (BAT), a manned, unpowered, glide bomb developed during the Cold War was intended to be fired from an Army Tactical Missile System. Its 5.5-inch diameter and tail fins allowed the BAT to strike in weak points on the armored vehicle, thereby maximizing damage to the tank turret. After the development, the submunition was adapted for a role in the United States Air Force as a glide bomb, the GBU-44/B Viper Strike.
Originally developed as a payload for an MGM-137B TSSAM missile, the Brilliant Anti-Tank submunition was designed to engage Soviet tanks. The submunition can track a target with an acoustic receiver and fire one round at it. The submunition was built to carry an HEAT warhead (high explosive anti-tank) and was optimized for Soviet tanks. It was too powerful for urban targets. It also failed effectively to transfer to level flight. To combat this, the submunition had a tandem shaped charge warhead. A laser seeker was also included in the submunition. The system could operate during day and night and at great distances.
The AGM-114 Hellfire precision munition was used in the Global War on Terror. It was however not well-suited for point targets. Its High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead was optimized for Soviet tanks and infantry formations. The HEAT warhead was too powerful to be used for precise targets in urban environments. The Pentagon ordered an investigation into the Terminally Guided Anti-Armor Indirect Fire Weapon System. Later it was made into the Brilliant Anti-Tank weapon.
The brilliant anti-tank submunition was a part of the "Assault Breaker" project, which was an initiative to develop weapons that could target Soviet armored formations that were buried deep behind front lines. These weapons were able to quickly eliminate large numbers of armored vehicles and give the United States an advantage in future conflict.
The Brilliant Anti-Tank submunition was developed by Lockheed Martin as part of its Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). The submunition can be used to combat moving armored vehicle and has a combat range that exceeds 800 meters. For initial target acquisition, the submunition uses passive acoustic wingstip sensors and an imaging infrared sensor. A multi-mode seeker is used to target armored cars.
The Army TACMS IIA includes the brilliant anti tank submunition, which can operate both day and night. It can deploy up six P3I BAT Brilliant Anti-Armor submarines. The Block II ATACMS can operate both day and night and can also operate existing weapons. The block II ATACMS can also operate at a greater range. The block II ATACMS is a precision engagement weapon that uses US missile development expertise.
The Pentagon is constantly developing new weapons. "Brillaint" weapons can kill large numbers armored vehicles within seconds, making them an essential part of any defense strategy. The new weapons are also designed to be highly deployable, allowing early-arriving forces to quickly kill armored vehicles, giving them an edge in the battlefield. These "brilliant weapons" could provide a solution for future conflicts such as the gulfwar. They may also be used to stop future invasions.