Description
U.S. Army Technical Manual TM 9-1425-484-10 for M47 Dragon Surface Attack Guided Missile Weapon System, July 1979
Item Overview
This official U.S. Army reprint is the operator’s manual for the M47 Dragon Surface Attack Guided Missile Weapon System, also called the Medium Antitank/Assault Weapon System. Originally issued as TM 9-1425-484-10 on July 31, 1979, this copy includes the current replacement pages from Changes 1 through 6. It covers the Dragon’s day and night trackers, service and practice rounds, launcher mount, operating equipment, and operator-level care. This listing is for the technical manual only. It does not include a missile, launcher, tracker, night sight, mount, container, battery, coolant bottle, tripod, or other equipment.
Publication Details
This publication was prepared for soldiers responsible for operating, inspecting, and maintaining the M47 Dragon at the operator level. The integrated change pages updated selected instructions, illustrations, equipment lists, warnings, and maintenance information without replacing the manual’s original July 1979 publication date.
- Manual number: TM 9-1425-484-10
- Publication date: July 31, 1979
- Edition: Official reprint
- Updates included: Current pages from Changes 1 through 6
- Latest included update: Change 6, November 18, 1985
- Primary subject: M47 Dragon Surface Attack Guided Missile Weapon System
- Official system type: Medium Antitank/Assault Weapon System
- Manual level: Operator
- Issuing authority: Headquarters, Department of the Army
- Country of origin: United States
- Previous publication: Superseded TM 9-1425-480-10 dated June 1, 1977, including changes
- Item included: Technical manual only
Manual Coverage
TM 9-1425-484-10 explains the major parts and general operation of the Dragon system. Its chapters cover system introduction, equipment description, operating information, preventive maintenance checks, operator troubleshooting, maintenance, and ammunition identification. The appendices include references, components of end item, additional authorized items, and expendable supplies. Illustrated instructions help identify controls, trackers, launch equipment, accessories, carrying equipment, and inspection points. This historical manual should be used as a reference and not as a substitute for current military training or safety requirements.
Equipment Covered
The manual documents the principal equipment used with the M47 Dragon. The system combined a reusable optical tracker with an expendable guided-missile-and-launcher round. Separate equipment supported daytime operation, limited-visibility use, training, and firing from a vehicle or tripod.
- SU-36/P infrared tracker: NSN 1430-00-078-8340; reusable daytime tracker and sighting unit
- M222 guided missile and launcher: Service surface-attack round with HEAT warhead
- M223 guided missile and launcher: Practice round with an inert warhead and functional propulsion components
- AN/TAS-5 night vision sight: NSN 1430-01-046-9594; infrared night and limited-visibility tracker
- M175 guided-missile launcher mount: NSN 1440-01-030-8438; supported firing from a tripod or armored personnel carrier
- Additional equipment: Carrying bags, protective covers, batteries, coolant bottles, cleaning materials, and authorized support items
About the M47 Dragon Weapon System
The M47 Dragon was a portable, wire-guided missile system built to defeat armored vehicles, fortified bunkers, concrete gun positions, and other hardened battlefield targets. Its reusable tracker attached to the missile’s disposable launch tube. After launch, the tracker observed an infrared signal from the missile and sent steering corrections through guidance wires that unreeled behind it. The gunner kept the sight centered on the target until impact. The service round weighed about 25.3 pounds, while a complete firing system weighed about 35 pounds. Its listed effective range extended from approximately 65 to 1,000 meters. The AN/TAS-5 sight gave Dragon teams a night and reduced-visibility capability.
Weapon-System History
The Dragon program began with Army studies for a man-portable medium antitank weapon in the late 1950s and early 1960s. McDonnell Douglas received an engineering-development contract in 1966, and the Army approved Dragon as the system’s official name in March 1967. Early guided-flight testing followed at Redstone Arsenal. Initial production was authorized in 1972, and most of the system received Standard A classification in 1973. Production equipment began arriving in 1974, followed by the first tactical fielding to U.S. Army units in Europe in January 1975. The July 1979 manual dates from the period when Dragon distribution to active Army, National Guard, airborne, and mechanized units was nearing completion.
History of Use
Dragon was issued to infantry, mechanized, airborne, air-assault, armored-cavalry, Ranger, and Special Forces organizations. Deployments to Korea and the 82nd Airborne Division were completed in 1977, and Army-wide deployment of the basic system was completed in 1981. The U.S. Marine Corps also used Dragon in dedicated antitank teams, while allied nations adopted the system for their own infantry forces. Dragon missiles deployed to Southwest Asia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where a limited number were fired in combat. The later Dragon II used a more powerful warhead, but the system was gradually replaced in U.S. service by the FGM-148 Javelin during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Collector and Research Value
This manual is a valuable reference for studying Cold War infantry antitank weapons, guided-missile development, operator maintenance, and Army equipment organization. Its integrated Changes 1 through 6 show how the publication evolved as the Dragon remained in service through the mid-1980s. The illustrations and equipment lists can assist museums, historians, collectors, and restorers with the identification of inert Dragon components, SU-36/P trackers, AN/TAS-5 sights, M175 mounts, carrying equipment, and training displays.
Condition
This vintage military technical manual may show cover wear, edge wear, folds, yellowing, stains, writing, stamps, punched holes, loose pages, or other signs of age and storage. As an official updated reprint, it may contain pages with different revision dates, change markings, margin bars, revised illustrations, or later printing information. Printing details, binding style, markings, and condition may vary between available copies.
Ideal For
This manual is well suited for collections, exhibits, and research projects covering American guided missiles and infantry antitank weapons.
- U.S. Army technical-manual collections
- M47 Dragon missile-system research
- Cold War infantry-weapons displays
- SU-36/P and AN/TAS-5 equipment identification
- M222 and M223 inert-round research
- Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm exhibits
- Museum, restoration, and archival collections
Approx length 6.5", Approx width 9.5", Approx height .75", Approx weight 1lbs.
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