Brilliant Anti-Tank, a manned, non-powered glide bomb, was developed for use with an Army Tactical Missile System. BAT's tail fins and 5.5-inch size allowed it to strike the weakest points of the armored vehicle. This maximized damage to the tank tower. The submunition was later modified to serve as a glide bomb in the United States Air Force's GBU-44/B Viper Strike.
The Brilliant Anti-Tank Submunition was originally designed to attack Soviet tanks. The submunition could track a target using an acoustic detector and fire one shot at it. The submunition is designed to carry high explosive anti-tank warheads (HEAT). However, it was too heavy to be used for point targets in urban areas. It also failed effectively to transfer to level flight. To combat this, the submunition had a tandem shaped charge warhead. The submunition also had a laser searcher. The system could operate both day and night, and it could operate from a wide range of distances.
AGM-114 Hellfire was an AGM-114 precision munition used by aerial platforms in the Global War on Terror. It was not well suited for a wide range of point targets. Its High Explosive-Anti-Tank warhead (HEAT), is optimized for Soviet tanks or infantry formations. The HEAT warhead wasn't enough for point targets and it was too strong for precision targets within urban environments. The Pentagon ordered a study on Terminally Guided Anti-Armor Indirect Fire Weapon System. Later, the Brilliant Anti-Tank submunition was created.
The "Assault Breaker", an initiative to develop weapons capable of targeting Soviet armored formations buried far behind frontlines, produced the brilliant anti-tank weapon. These weapons were able to quickly eliminate large numbers of armored vehicles and give the United States an advantage in future conflict.
Lockheed Martin, as part the Army Tactical Missile System ATACMS (ATACMS), developed the BrilliantAnti-Tank submunition. It is designed to be used against moving armored vehicles. The submunition has a combat range up to 800m. Submunition has an imaging infrared and passive acoustic tip sensors that allow for initial target acquisition. 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 is a deep attack carrier that can operate day and night, and it can operate existing weapons. Also, the block II ATACMS has a longer range. The precision engagement weapon, the block II ATACMS, is based on US missile development expertise.
"Brilliant" weapons are being developed by the Pentagon and have the potential of killing large numbers of armored cars in a matter seconds. They are a crucial part of any defense strategy. The new weapons are highly mobile, making them easy to deploy. This allows for early-arriving units to quickly eliminate armored vehicle, giving them an edge on the battlefield. These new "brilliant" weapons are a potential solution to future conflicts, like the gulf war. They could also help to thwart future invasions.