Original Reporting. Project B has a calculated net present value of $3,500 over a six-year life. Instead, thanks to the M72s low weight, individual soldiers could carry several LAWs when out on a mission compared to just one AT4. [36][37] The M72A7 LAW is an improvement on previous versions, including an improved rocket motor for a higher velocity to accurately engage targets past 200m (660ft), an insensitive munitions warhead to reduce the likelihood of an accidental explosion, and a Picatinny rail to mount laser pointers and night sights. The AT4 is a man-portable weapon used for the protection of vital assets, fixed defence installations and key supply points.Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Iraq, Ireland, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Sweden, the UK, the US and Venezuela are among the countries that have deployed the weapon in their artilleries. Though the M136 AT4 can be employed in limited visibility, the firer must be able to see and identify the target and estimate the range to it. Having these weapons in significant quantities is very likely to be a key factor for Ukrainian units holding the line against invading Russian forces. The latest variant, with special-designed Fire From Enclosure (FFE) ammunition could change that. In the system originally developed by FFV for the Carl Gustaf, a plastic blowout plug is placed at the centre rear of the shell casing containing the projectile and propellant, which itself is enclosed in the AT4 outer tube. Despite early problems, it was a success and was copied by other countries. American production of the weapon began by Hesse-Eastern in 1963, and was terminated by 1983; currently it is produced by Nammo Raufoss AS in Norway and their subsidiary, Nammo Talley, Inc. in Arizona. As of 21 February 2023, Canada has supplied 4500 M72s to Ukraine for use in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Their information has been 100% accurate so far, which I think is a deliberate strategy. [16] They then remove the first of two safeties by moving the firing rod cocking lever (located on the left side) forward and then over the top to the right side. The Global Missiles and Missile Defence Systems Market 2011-2021. Shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, also known as man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, have been a key factor in preventing Russian forces from gaining critically important air superiority. When fired, the striker in the rear tube impacts a primer, which ignites a small amount of powder that "flashes" down a tube to the rear of the rocket and ignites the propellant in the rocket motor. The weapon consists of a rocket within a launcher consisting of two tubes, one inside the other. All of these had to be used within a few meters of the target, which was difficult and dangerous. Ease of use means that many of the weapons, especially guided systems, can be fielded faster and on a wider basis. The AT8 is a new projectile developed for bursting bunkers and AT12 is another modern 130mm frontal engagement version projectile, which can penetrate front armour of any modern battle tank (MBT). Damage is the same, AT4 has a higher velocity though, So AT4 is better in that regard #1 uavguy Aug 31, 2020 @ 10:00am The AT4 Does do more damage to vehicles. So, he previously stated the following: Russians are incredibly disciplined when it comes to information management. He truthfully talks about how Russian troops clean up cities, how Bandera retreats, talks about the real losses of the parties. The LAW has been around since the early-1960s for use against Soviet light tanks in Europe. Despite the improvements that the M72E5 offered, the AT4 was chosen to replace the M72. This version uses a saltwater countermass in the rear of the launcher to absorb the back blast; the resulting spray captures and dramatically slows down the pressure wave, allowing troops to fire from enclosed areas. It is effective in assaulting tanks and combat vehicles, landing craft, helicopter, aircraft and armoured vehicles. [9] (Miniman) adopted by the Swedish Army in the late 1960s. Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security. These are first and second-generation MANPADS that entered service in the 1960s and 1970s and there are reports that they may not even be functional at this point. They nerfed the US AT-4 and buffed the Britsh AT-4. A target is aimed with AT4 through range-adjustable plastic sights. Firing is straightforward making it perfect for training inexperienced fighters in Ukraine such as members of the reserve territorial defense forces. [17][18] Currently, the Australian Defence Force uses the M72A6 variant, known as the "light direct fire support weapon",[19] as an anti-structure and secondary anti-armor weapon. The launcher can be fitted with an adapter to allow the mounting of more robust sighting systems, including night vision optics, but this is a complicated and potentially costly proposition given that the core weapon is meant to be discarded after use. M72 Still Highly-Regarded in the Modern Era. Required fields are marked *. It has been reported that the 5,000 anti-armor weapons that Sweden is sending to Ukraine are likely to be AT4s. With a range of up to 656-feet, the LAW can punch through 12-inches of armor with a formidable shaped charge. The launchers are upgraded to be able to fire multiple times and are armed with M74 incendiary rounds. The M72 VERY light. The AT4 warhead can penetrate more than 17.5in of armour plate. Politics. After all, when propaganda has reached 11,000 destroyed tanks, there is nowhere else to lie. For use against light armour, there is a smaller-cone HEAT warhead with 15 centimetres (5.9in) penetration of RHA. The RPG-7 is basically the same, but with 2 more shots. At least some of these deliveries have included pedestal-mounted twin-launchers for these missiles, in addition to shoulder-fired ones. The head of Chechnya, Kadyrov, demanded that the United States increase the supply of Javelin anti-tank systems to Ukraine. Another key requirement was that the AT4 not only be able to penetrate armour, but also exhibit devastating beyond-armour effect after penetration. It is a single-use disposable tube-shaped weapon fired from the shoulder. The compact size, lightweight, and low cost of these weapons make them well suited for anything but the most heavily armored vehicles. The launcher and projectile are manufactured prepacked and issued as one unit of ammunition, with the launcher discarded after one use. After these changes, the AT4 was adopted by the US Army as the Lightweight Multipurpose Weapon M136. Im sure youre a drug addict, just like your president is a clown. The effective range of the weapon depends on the type of rocket and the sights, but is generally around 720 feet for more recent models. AT4 is a one-shot weapon that has different projectiles, including HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank), AST (anti-structure tandem-warheads), ER, HE (high explosive), HP, and RS (reduced sensitivity). [citation needed] In 2018 it was reported that an upgrade for the LAW was being developed that would improve the fire control system as well as largely eliminate the weapon's back blast, allowing the weapon to be used more safely from within a confined space. The Marines' M72 LAW Anti-Tank Weapon is Set for an Upgrade The venerable anti-tank weapon will feature improvements to its aiming and optics system, and new ammunition will allow Marines to fire. [19], Anti-structure tandem-warheads (AST) Designed for urban warfare where a projectile heavier than the HEDP AT4 is needed. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. The AT4 is an 84mm unguided anti-armour weapon manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics. The high-explosive dual purpose can be used against buildings and bunkers, and the projectile can also be used to detonate on impact or with a delayed detonation. The M141 BDM, also known as the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon-Disposable (SMAW-D), is a relatively obscure weapon that had seen almost exclusive service with the U.S. military until deliveries began arriving in Ukraine earlier this year. The M136 AT4 produces less effect than the M72-series LAW. . PzF 3's effective range is between around 1,300 and 1,970 feet, depending on the exact type of ammunition and whether it is equipped with one of the more advanced sighting systems that have been developed for it over the years. As far as I'm concerned, with the introduction of the updated vehicle damage model, LAW kit is the better all-round choice, because it also has one frag on it and in most cases these 15% you get with AT4 won't do any difference in term of how many times you have to hit a vic for a kill. In partnership with Raufoss AS, Talley Defense offered the M72E5, which offered increased range, penetration and better sights; this was tested along with five other light anti-armor weapons in 1983. [34][note 3], Although generally thought of as a Vietnam Warera weapon that has been superseded by the more-powerful AT4, the M72 LAW found new popularity in the operations by the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, and Canadian Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Swedish-made Carl Gustaf, which Canada says it plans to send 100 of to Ukraine, is an 84mm recoilless rifle, variants of which have been in service around the world since the 1940s. In April 2011, Saab received a $17m (Skr104m) order from an unknown customer to deliver the AT4-CS RS version during 2012. has reported that Italy's expected shipment of unspecified anti-tank weapons might also consist of PzF 3s. High-explosive dual purpose (HEDP) 502[5][18] For use against bunkers, buildings, enemy personnel in the open, and light armour. But the LAW gets an ACOG so maybe it's because the ACOG is considered a significant advantage already? This project forms part of our recent analysis and forecasts of the global missiles and missile defence systems market available from our business information platform Strategic Defence Intelligence. Your email address will not be published. 2.5kg. The disadvantage of AT4 is that it develops a large backblast behind the weapon, which may harm the operator of the weapon and friendly forces within the vicinity. The AT4 is not a rocket launcher strictly speaking, because the explosive warhead is not propelled by a rocket motor. AT4-CS uses saltwater countermass, which absorbs the backblast and slows down the pressure wave. This combines a shallow-coned HEAT warhead (resulting in low penetration but producing a wide hole) with a tandem-charge and a follow-through high-blast warhead. The name AT4 is a word play on the 84mm caliber of the weapon, (84) 'eighty four' being a homophone of 'A-T-4'. page 90. "They are able to distribute the equipment very quickly [and] they are able to make use of it," a senior U.S. defense said yesterday of U.S. military assistance, in general. They still have the same model in game but . All of the versions have effective firing ranges of around 1,150 feet. AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile - Expanded Response, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M72_LAW&oldid=1149191710, Military equipment introduced in the 1960s, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, CS1 Brazilian Portuguese-language sources (pt-br), All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with image file bare URLs for citations, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2008, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 2.5kg (5.5lb) (M72A1-3) / 3.6kg (7.9lb) (M72A4-7), 66mm (2.6in) Talley single-shot disposable rocket launcher; pre-loaded with, Improved rocket motor, higher penetration, Rocket optimized for high penetration; uses improved launcher assembly, M72A3 variant; uses improved launcher assembly, Warhead modified for lower penetration but increased blast effect; uses improved launcher assembly, M72A6 variant, insensitive-explosive (PBXN-9) version for US Navy, A7 variant with super-sensitive Graze fuze, restricted from training use (combat-only), Anti-armor warhead with fire-from-enclosure (FFE) propulsion, Blast-optimized HE warhead, DPX-6 explosive, Anti-structure warhead with FFE propulsion, M72A7 variant; FFE-capable rocket motor; uses improved launcher assembly, M72 variant; rocket with improved anti-armor capability; uses improved launcher assembly, M72 variant; HE-frag rocket; FFE-capable; uses improved launcher assembly, Enhanced capacity, increased anti-armor performance, 315 grams PBXW-11 explosive, Reduced-caliber 45mm (1.8in) anti-structure rocket, 0.4kg (0.88lb) DPX-6 explosive, 70mm (2.75in) rocket warhead using M72A2 warhead components, 910g (2.0lb) composition B explosive, Turkish variant, mix of A2 and A3 features, 35mm (1.4in) training variant, fires M73 practice rocket. [21], M136 AT4 American version with modified launch tube bumpers, sights, and slings. The solid rocket propulsion unit was developed in the newly-formed Rohm and Haas research laboratory at Redstone Arsenal in 1959,[6] and the full system was designed by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. The Hesse-Eastern Division of Norris Thermadore developed the LAW. It is a single-use disposable tube-shaped weapon fired from the shoulder. The M72 LAW is a combination of the two World War II weapons. It can be used against targets up to 274m. Because it is a one-shot weapon, projectiles are preloaded into the launcher tubes. It's unclear whether the weapons in question are 9K32 Strela-2s or 9K34 Strela-3s, which are also known to NATO as SA-7s and SA-14s respectively. Addressing the aforementioned flash and back-blast drawbacks specifically, the LAW FFE will allow Soldiers and Marines to fire several shots per day from inside a rooma capability the legacy system lacked. In addition, the flash from the M72 FFEs muzzle and back blast is less than that of an M9 pistol, when firing at night. Both practice cartridges are unique to their respective weapons, with their trajectory matched to that of the live round. Now serving as 1945s New Defense and National Security Editor, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. In a single-use disposable gun, the barrel only needs to be able to contain a single pressure spike when firing, when it can be disposed of, even if it is ruined, burnt-out and strained, unlike traditional guns which are required to survive many pressure spikes without failure and thus need to be strongly overbuilt and made of heat-proof materials. The French APILAS was the only tested weapon that had the maximum penetration to defeat the frontal armour of the new Russian T-72 MBT, but it was rejected due to its weight and size. The U.S. Army introduced the bazooka, the first rocket-propelled grenade launcher. The NLAW, also known as the Main Battle Tank and Light Anti-tank Weapon (MBT LAW), is a simpler-to-operate weapon than the Javelin, requiring no detachable targeting unit, but is still a very capable guided anti-tank missile. The increased importance of tanks and other armored vehicles in World War II caused a need for portable infantry weapons to deal with them. Saab Bofors has used many design features of Carl Gustav while developing AT4. The M72 rocket has been in Australian service since the Vietnam War. Bipartisan. Patented by Paul V. Choate of Milton, MA. The gas pressure for the 66mm rocket does the rest. This weapon is reloadable and uses the 35mm (1.4in) M73 training rocket. In addition, the Ukrainian military has its own stocks of Strelas and Iglas, which it has already been putting to good use. [35], The U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico, Virginia, placed a $15.5-million fixed contract order with Talley Defense for 7,750 M72A7s, with delivery to be completed in April 2011. The guys especially fell in love with the Javelin ATGM, which has double effectiveness. This article is about the unguided anti-tank weapon of Sweden. The high-explosive anti-tank projectile can penetrate up to 420mm of rolled homogenous armour. The M72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW) is a light weight, man-portable, one shot anti-armor system designed to give the infantry soldier a knock out punch to defeat light armor vehicles. The Grom family of missiles, the first versions of which entered service in the 1990s, are improved derivatives of the Soviet-designed 9K38 Igla. A unique mechanical set-back safety on the base of the detonator grounds the circuit until the missile has accelerated out of the tube. The Piorun, which only entered service in 2019 and is seen being tested in the video below, features an improved rocket motor and seeker system. A number of NATO members, including Poland and Slovakia, still have stocks of Soviet-era weapons that Ukrainian forces might already use, which could make it easier to transfer them and to get them issued out to combat units. The forward folding grip is the only difference between the AT4 adopted by Sweden and the US Army version. Change TM 3-23.25, 15 September 2010, as follows: [24], In late February 2022, the Norwegian government announced that it intended to donate "up to 2,000" M72 LAW units from their reserve stocks to Ukraine, in response to the Russian invasion. I heard that they stopped writing about the losses of Russian tanks. In addition, a soldier can carry two LAWs on a mission as opposed to a single AT4. Well before the end of the Cold War, it had become clear they had limited effectiveness against even contemporary tanks and had started to be gradually withdrawn from service with the U.S. military and other armed forces around the world. It is effective in assaulting tanks and combat vehicles, landing craft, helicopter, aircraft and armoured vehicles. With a range of up to 656-feet, the LAW can punch through 12-inches of armor with a formidable shaped charge. This list may well be incomplete. Window: The round may travel completely through the structure before detonating; if not, it creates dust and causes minor structural damage to the rear wall, but little damage to personnel or equipment, unless they are hit directly.

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