The heavyweight wire-guided Type 79 Jyu-Missile Anti-Tank (MAT) (or KAM-9) was designed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in the early 1970s for use in the man-portable and vehicle-mounted anti-tank and anti-amphibious roles. The latter version is sometimes referred to as the Type 79 Tan-SSM. It entered operational service in 1984 following the initial start of low-rate production in 1980.

During the 1980s, the weapon was chosen to arm the Japanese Self-Defence Force Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Type 89 MICV. The installation comprises two separate launcher boxes mounted on either side of the turret. The fire-control and guidance system is fitted within an armoured box in front of the gunner's station in the turret.

The missile uses a Semi-Automatic Command to Line Of Sight (SACLOS) guidance system so that all the gunner has to do is to keep the cross-hairs of his sight on the target. The fire-control system relays any course correction commands to the missile via electrical signals through the guidance control wire to the weapon's guidance electronics. The missile's position is tracked in flight by use of a rear-facing xenon lamp fitted to the weapon. If required the missile can be controlled in flight by a manual backup guidance mode.

The missile is fitted with a solid propellant booster and a solid propellant sustainer rocket motor. Two alternative 4.2 kg warhead fits are available: a high-explosive shaped charge type with an impact fuzing system for anti-armour use and an HE enhanced blast fragmentation semi-armour-piercing type with a variable delay fuze for use against amphibious warfare targets.

A typical Type 79 standard infantry fire unit consists of two Type 73 (4 x 4) light vehicles which carry two individual launcher units, one optical sight unit, control/ guidance electronics and a connecting cable reel. The two launchers can be separated by as much as 50 m with only one of the launchers being fitted with a sighting system.

These include the tripod-mounted Type 87 Chu-MAT with a semi-active laser homing head; while under development is the fibre optic XATM-4 heavy anti-tank missile and the XATM-5 which may be similar to the US Army Javelin man-portable missile system. All of these have been developed for the home market with no plans for exports.

Tracked Type 89 MICV (two single-round turret-mounted launcher boxes - Japanese Self-Defence Force).

Production. Only in service with the Japanese Self-Defence Force. Not offered for export.