What makes a weapon anti-air or anti-tank? Would anti-air be effective against tanks? Could we create one weapon that covers both, or even all possible targets?

Question

What makes a weapon anti-air or anti-tank? Would anti-air be effective against tanks? Could we create one weapon that covers both, or even all possible targets?

In: 864

Answer 1

You see some overlap in the realm of anti-armor and anti-helicopter weapons.

Something designed to take out tanks from a long range often can be made to work against helicopters. There have been several videos of Ukraine shooting down helicopters using Javelins anti-tank weapons.

It’s less easy, but still possible, to design a light anti-air missile that can also be used against ground targets. The warheads you see on small SAM missiles isn’t going to be enough to take out a tank, but things like the UK Starstreak are designed with the idea of engaging ‘light’ armored vehicles like infantry fighting vehicles.