Description
U.S. M222 Dragon Guided Missile and Launcher – McDonnell Douglas 1985
This U.S. M222 Dragon guided missile and launcher is an inert display example from the M47 Dragon medium antitank / assault weapon system. The data plate identifies the item as Guided Missile and Launcher, Surface Attack: M222, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company and dated 6/85. It retains the OD green launch tube, sling, folded support assembly, identification bands, end shock absorbers, and original manufacturer’s data plate.
U.S. M222 Dragon Guided Missile and Launcher
The M222 was the tactical guided missile and launcher round used with the M47 Dragon system. The Dragon combined an expendable launcher tube with a missile installed at the factory. The separate day or night tracker sight unit attached to the launcher for use and was removed afterward for reuse.
This example is the launcher / round assembly only. No tracker sight is included. It presents as a complete Cold War U.S. Dragon component with the correct tube form, carry fittings, protective end pads, and external data markings.
Data Plate Details
Nomenclature: Guided Missile and Launcher, Surface Attack: M222
Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company
Date Manufactured: 6/85
Serial Number: 718982
Lot Number: MCG85E001-010
Contract Number: DAAH01-83-C-A081
Part Number: 10695150
NSN: 1427-01-227-1722
Firing Temperature Limits: -25°F to +145°F
Construction / Configuration / Pattern
The M222 assembly uses a long cylindrical launch tube finished in olive drab. The exterior has a carry sling, black folded support assembly, brown retaining strap, wiring / connector provisions, and tracker support area. The yellow and brown-orange identification bands remain on the tube.
Both large foam shock absorbers are present. These protect the forward and rear ends of the launcher during storage, handling, and transport. The pads have the broad squared form associated with the Dragon launcher assembly.
The side data plate remains highly legible. A smaller black label marked Protective Cover Remove Before Use is also present near the connector area. The launcher body carries serial-style markings and external fittings consistent with the Dragon round assembly.
Historical Context / Pattern Development
The M47 Dragon entered U.S. service during the Cold War as a man-portable, shoulder-fired, wire-guided antitank weapon system. It gave infantry units a medium antitank capability that could be carried by an individual soldier or a two-man team.
The Dragon system separated the reusable sight unit from the expendable missile-and-launcher round. The launcher served as both the carrying container and firing tube for the missile. This allowed the sighting equipment to be retained while the missile tube was discarded after use.
The M222 was the tactical HEAT round for the Dragon system. U.S. Army references list the M223 as the inert practice round and the M222 as the live tactical round. This example is preserved as an inert display item, with its original 1985 McDonnell Douglas data plate still in place.
By the 1980s, the Dragon was a familiar U.S. infantry antitank weapon. It remained in American service through the late Cold War and Gulf War era before replacement by later antitank systems.
Condition
This is an inert display example. The data plate remains present and highly legible, with strong printed and stamped information. The OD green launcher body shows handling wear, surface scuffs, scratches, tape residue, and scattered finish loss.
Both foam end protectors remain fitted. They show age wear, dents, cracks, abrasion, and small losses. The sling remains attached and shows wear from age and handling. The folded support assembly is present along the underside of the launcher.
The exterior fittings, straps, connector cover area, and identification bands remain in place. Overall, this is a good displayable Cold War U.S. missile system component with clear McDonnell Douglas markings and strong visual presence.
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U.S. M222 Dragon guided missile and launcher with foam end protectors
McDonnell Douglas M222 Dragon data plate dated 6/85
Inert M222 Dragon launcher with OD green tube and sling
M47 Dragon missile launcher display with folded support assembly
Cold War U.S. M222 guided missile and launcher surface attack
Research notes, not for product page: U.S. Army FM 3-23.24 describes the M47 Dragon as a surface-attack, wire-guided, man-portable, shoulder-fired medium antitank weapon system. It also identifies the Dragon weapon system as using day or night sights with a round of ammunition, and lists the round’s launcher components as a smooth-bored fiberglass tube, sling, forward and rear shock absorbers, wiring harness, sight support bracket, battery, and bipod. The same manual identifies the Dragon ammunition as an expendable missile-and-launcher component, with the M222 as the HEAT round and the M223 as the inert practice round. IMA’s comparable Dragon listings support the general Cold War / Gulf War-era collecting context for inert M47 Dragon launcher display pieces.
