- Yes
- No
TL;DR:
HVAR with a huge HEAT warhead.
History:
During the Korean War, it was reported that the standard Bazookas and HVAR aircraft rockets were insufficient against Soviet/North Korean tanks. When these reports reached the Naval Ordnance Test Station in July 1950, the entire station started work on a new anti tank rocket with a shaped charge. In only 29 days a new rocket, the Anti Tank Aircraft Rocket (ATAR) was designed, built, and successfully tested. 600 rockets were hand-built at the NOTS and quickly shipped to Korea, and it was given the nickname of “Ram”.
The ATAR was built on the motor of the HVAR, mounting a new shaped charge warhead. The warhead was over a metre long, and had an 8.9kg charge of Comp. B, about 2.5 times the HVAR’s. Funnily enough, the station personnel thoroughly overestimated the armour piercing required, likely due to reports that IS-3s would be deployed to Korea, with the ATAR being able to penetrate a whopping 610mm of armour. The original ATARs used a very sensitive hand-built fuze that was made of consumer components, which was replaced with a less dangerous one in later production models.
The first ATARs arrived in August 1950, along with a NOTS representative, Stan Marcus. The ATAR first saw service at Pohang, with the 39th and 40th Fighter Squadrons. After its first combat, it was estimated that at least 8 tanks were destroyed for 150 rockets fired. However, Marcus also found out that earlier reports of HVAR non-penetrations were highly exaggerated, and that no IS-3 tanks had in fact been deployed to Korea, making the ATAR unnecessary. Along with this, pilots were not very enthusiastic using the ATAR, as it required pilots to fire them very close to the target to be accurate, and it lacked the versatility compared to other ordnance, being only useful for anti tank work. Nevertheless, 70 000 more ATARs were produced, of the newer Mk 2 model which was lighter and featured safer fuzes. The ATAR was quickly superseded by newer rockets and shaped charge HVARs, and was withdrawn from service in 1953 at the end of the Korean War.
In War Thunder:
Wow, I love having more ordnance options, especially to kill tank players.
Specifications:
Weight: (Warhead + Motor)
23.9kg (52.65lb) + 40.76kg (89.87lb)Dimensions: (Warhead + Motor)
Length: 1.08m (42.59") + 1.3m (51.31")
Diameter: 127mm (5") to 165.1mm (6.5"), 387.6mm (15.26") with finsMotor:
5-inch Rocket Motor Mk 10 Mod 6?
Solid fuel rocket
2131.9kgf (4700lbf)
1.15s burn time
Max speed: ~403.9m/s (value of the HEAT HVAR, ATAR probably slower)Warhead:
6.5" Rocket Head Mk 2 Mod 0/1
Shaped charge
8.9kg Composition B
610mm of penetration
Vehicles:
Any Korean War era aircraft that can use HVARs
Confirmed on:
A-26B Invader
AD Skyraider
F4U Corsair
F8F Bearcat
F-51 Mustang
F-80 Shooting Star
Images:
Sources:
Babcock, E. (2008). Magnificent Mavericks: Transition of the Naval Ordnance Test Station from Rocket Station to Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Center, 1948-58 (pp. 177-189). Government Printing Office.
https://web.archive.org/web/20181101015509/http://bulletpicker.com/pdf/OP%201415,%20Rocket%20Assemblies.pdf
Images:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ram_rocket
http://www.chinalakealumni.org/1950/1950mo.htm
http://www.chinalakealumni.org/1952/1952mo.htm