Top attack

A top attack weapon is designed to attack armoured vehicles from above as a form of plunging fire, as the armour is usually thinnest on the top of the vehicle. Ideally, it will penetrate perpendicular to the attacked surface. The device may be delivered (often as a submunition) by an anti-tank guided missile, mortar or artillery shell, or even an emplaced munition such as a mine. Top attack munitions use either a high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead for direct impact or near impact, or an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warhead for over-flight of the target.

The top attack concept is fairly new and was first put into service by the Swedish in 1988[1] with the Bofors RBS 56 BILL top-attack anti-tank missile.