It was fitted with a Hensoldt 1x & 10x Military Periscope Monocular Guided Missile Sight, firing station and guidance system.

It also carried a separate Barr & Stroud thermal imaging sight and control unit, which could be deployed up to 75 metres away from, and 15m above or below, the vehicle, connected to it by a cable.

This enabled the missiles to be aimed and fired whilst the vehicle remained camouflaged, completely hidden from the enemy in dead ground or behind cover.

The Swingfire missile had a thrust-vectoring engine nozzle which gave it the capability to make a ninety-degree turn immediately after leaving the launch bin in order to get into the controller's line of sight.

When FV438 entered service in the 1970s, it was operated by specialised anti-tank units of the British Infantry[citation needed] and Royal Armoured Corps.