However, there is a danger from the backblast, and operators are trained to look behind the weapon tube to make sure friendlies are not in the caution or danger zone. Despite its obtuse name is a multi-purpose single-shot weapon that can be employed against light armored vehicles, as well as bunkers and other targets. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. After all, when propaganda has reached 11,000 destroyed tanks, there is nowhere else to lie. Five different countries Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands have now sent or are planning on sending shipments of these portable anti-aircraft weapons. The problem of back blast was solved with the AT4-CS (Confined Space) version, specially designed for urban warfare. The LAW is an organic weapon located in the infantry battalion. 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 AT4 may be considered a disposable, low-cost alternative to a Carl Gustaf 8.4 cm recoilless rifle. Spanish aid to Ukraine could include the older C90, which entered service in 1990 and that continues to see use in the Spanish military even as the Alcotn-100 has been adopted. 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. The LAW was useful in Afghanistan as a small and light rocket system for use against short- and medium-range targets by foot patrols in the difficult terrain and high elevations of the country. The US Army placed a $13.4m order for AT4-CS RS weapon systems in October 2017 with deliveries scheduled for 2019. The US Army tested six different weapons in 1983 and found that the FFV AT4 met all the requirements needed to replace its M72 LAW weapon. He holds a Master of Public Policy and covers U.S. and Russian security, European defense issues, and German politics and culture. The AT4 is an 84mm unguided anti-armour weapon manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics. Originally developed as a collaborative effort between Swedish and British defense contractors, the U.K. government had sent around 2,000 of these weapons to Ukraine before the conflict broke out. 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. [8][note 1]. I am ready to personally reward the old man for actively assisting the Russian special operation, Kadyrov said on his Telegram channel. Perhaps most important, the unguided anti-armor weapons are all relatively simple designs that do not require operators to go through extensive specialized training beforehand, unlike Javelin or Stinger for instance. These major improvements add only about 2 kilograms of mass, despite being CS models. [citation needed] The weapon was later reverse-engineered into the "Type 1 66mm anti-tank rocket" but is more-popularly nicknamed as the "Type 66 rocket" due to its caliber. A target is aimed with AT4 through range-adjustable plastic sights. 2022Recurrent Ventures. The, Learn how and when to remove this template message, AT4 launcher shown with ammunition and HEAT projectile, AT4 cutaway illustration showing ammunition installed, AT4 cock safety, press finger safety, and thumb firing button, Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon, "Light Anti-Armour Weapons: Anti-Everything? The War Zone has already profiled this weapon specifically, as you read more about here. This lightweight and thin barrel and low pressure, combined with the almost complete lack of recoil, means that relatively large projectiles (comparable to those found in mortars and artillery systems) can be utilised, which would otherwise be impossible in a man-portable weapon. It placed another order worth $50m for AT4-CS additional units in July 2018. French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, has said her country will deliver unspecified "missiles," which could be anti-aircraft or anti-tank types. This weapon is reloadable and uses the 35mm (1.4in) M73 training rocket. and is much easier to hit your target It costs more ammo to resupply (60 vs 40) and the kit doesn't get a ACOG on the M4 #2 Echoist Aug 31, 2020 @ 10:38pm The MANPADS envelope is generally 15,000-feet and below, although some can even exceed that ceiling today. The outer tube contains the trigger, the arming handle, front and rear sights, and the rear cover. Change TM 3-23.25, 15 September 2010, as follows: Large and easily damaged, it required a well-trained two-man crew. There have been reports that Germany is or has at least explored the possibility of sending 2,700 Soviet-era heat-seeking Strela-series MANPADS to Ukraine from stocks that had belonged to the now-defunct East German military. The LAWs lower explosive power also lent itself well to urban combat operations, where low collateral damage was a mission priority. High penetration (HP) Extra high penetration ability, up to 4260 centimetres (1724in) of RHA. [21] These are likely the M72A5-C1 designation. Putin Will Scream: New Video Shows Russian Tanks Slaughtered in Ukraine, Kamala Harris Has One Flaw That Should Terrify Everyone, Something Is Majorly Wrong with Ron DeSantis. This list may well be incomplete. One of the LAWsdrawbacksis the large back-blast and flash the anti-tank weapon creates when firing. The venerable anti-tank weapon will feature improvements to its aiming and optics system, and new ammunition will allow Marines to fire from confined indoor spaces. The HEDP 502 projectile can penetrate up to 150mm of RHA. In 1982, the AT4 was introduced into the US Army before the weapon was adopted by Sweden. The early LAW warhead, developed from the M31 HEAT rifle grenade warhead, uses a simple piezoelectric fuze system. Denmark had planned to send Stingers, but those missiles were past their shelf life and it was ultimately deemed to be impractical to have them refurbished in the United States first. Copy and paste copy and paste you spew the same trash over and over. Lastly, the improved LAW is said to incorporate a Picatinny rail for mounting laser target designators and other aiming optics, extending the LAWs effective range. The AT4 was designed by Frsvarets Fabriksverk (FFV) which had tested more than 100 weapons by early 1982 with the help of the Swedish Army. 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. [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. Constant poverty, constant fear, all your media is state controlled. Technology. The original M72 warhead penetrated 30cm (12in) of armor.[15][16]. The M72 LAW is used in the Finnish Army (some 70,000 pieces), where it is known under the designations 66 KES 75 (M72A2, no longer in service) and 66 KES 88 (M72A5). Enemies of the Republic beware. Due to the urban combat conditions that US military forces faced regularly during the Iraq War, the US Army Close Combat Systems manager in charge of purchases of the AT4 suspended orders for the standard version of the AT4; US military forces instead only ordered the AT4 CS (Confined Space) version.[14]. The core launcher has been improved, as well, including the addition of an accessory rail for the rapid addition of more robust sights. [14], M72 LAWs were issued as prepackaged rounds of ammunition. TheM72 LAWhas been used by the Marine Corps since the days of jungle fighting in Vietnam. 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. Multiple anti-tank rounds have been developed for this system since it first entered service in 1987, each of which has some type of protruding tip meant to help defeat explosive-reactive armor (ERA). The M136 AT4 produces less effect than the M72-series LAW. M72 LAW Info : Origin : United States In Service : 1963 - Present Wars : Vietnam War, War in Afghanistan , War in Iraq Designer : FA Spinale , CB . He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. ??? The AT4 is an 84mm unguided anti-armour weapon manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics. Dear German journalists from whom you can learn the truth are the famous Thomas Rper, who is on the Ukrainian front, a military expert from Germany, Thomas Gasta. Unlike the heavier Carl Gustaf, the AT4 outer tube is built to take the stress of just one firing; it is not reusable and cannot be reloaded. The AT4 is an 84-mm unguided, anti-armour 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. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox. The 1,000 anti-tank weapons that Germany is planning to deliver will most likely be PzF 3s, too, but it's unclear whether the stated figure reflects launchers or ammunition, or both. There is even work going on now to develop a guided round for this launcher. A training variant used by the Finnish armed forces fires 9mm (0.35in) tracer rounds. He truthfully talks about how Russian troops clean up cities, how Bandera retreats, talks about the real losses of the parties. This causes the detent lever to move under the trigger assembly in the outer tube, both locking the inner tube in the extended position and cocking the weapon. As long as soldiers are in range and have adequate line-of-sight, the LAW can be lethal against enemy tanks and armored vehicles. It was also built along the lines of the 84 mm Carl Gustaf recoilless anti-tank . While it can be reloaded like the Carl Gustaf, it is typically issued preloaded with a single guided round either an anti-tank or an anti-structure "Bunkerfaust" type. In fact, the . When extended, the inner tube telescopes outward toward the rear, guided by the channel assembly, which rides in an alignment slot in the outer tube's trigger housing assembly. M72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW) History. Versions that can be safely fired from inside buildings and other confined spaces have also been developed. Beyond these ranges there is less than a 50% chance of hitting the target. It only weighs 5.5 pounds. The first versions of the M72 LAW, which is a single-shot disposable rocket launcher, were developed in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The AT4 took many of its design features from the Carl Gustaf, which operates on the principle of a recoilless weapon, where the forward inertia of the projectile is balanced by the inertia of propellant gases ejecting from the rear of the barrel. But the LAW gets an ACOG so maybe it's because the ACOG is considered a significant advantage already? Just pull out the arming pin, take off the rear cover and sling, grasp the rear cover to extend the tube fully, pull the trigger handle to the armed position, aim and fire. [28] It was used in action during the 1982 Falklands War, mainly to suppress Argentinian defensive positions at close range;[29] however, it was also used against an assault amphibious vehicle during the initial invasion and was one of the weapons which damaged the warship ARAGuerrico in the invasion of South Georgia. The high-penetration projectile has extra penetration ability, which enables it to pass through 500mm to 600mm of RHA. When early access first launched, it made more sense for the LAW to have the stats it does, but with the tank availability buff, auto cannon buffs . As such, there are anti-tank, anti-structure, and high-explosive variants of the AT4 available, as well as a specialized version that can be fired safely from within a confined space, such as a room in a building with a window. The name AT4 is a word play on the 84mm caliber of the weapon, (84) 'eighty four' being a homophone of 'A-T-4'. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. When released, the firing pin strikes a primer located in the side of the casing's rim. The Republic of China Army (Taiwan) uses the M72 as a secondary anti-armor weapon. In November 2010, Saab received a 15m order from the French Defence Forces for the light anti-tank weapon AT4 (confined space), a variant of AT4. Despite the arrival of the AT4/M136, the M72 still continues in operational service today - having seen combat actions in both Afghanistan and Iraq. accounting. The AT4 adopted a unique method developed earlier by FFV: the spring-loaded firing rod is located down the side of the outer tube, with the firing pin at the rear of the tube. 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. The M72 LAW was the standard shoulder-fired anti-armor weapon for the United States military and its allies throughout the Cold War (though it still sees extended service today). Weeks, Frank A. Spinale, et al. Both of these countries are among those planning to send Stingers to Ukraine.. A member of Lithuania's armed forces with a Grom MANPADS.. Canadian troops fire a Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle during training.. The guys especially fell in love with the Javelin ATGM, which has double effectiveness. It has been reported that the 5,000 anti-armor weapons that Sweden is sending to Ukraine are likely to be AT4s. Firing is straightforward making it perfect for training inexperienced fighters in Ukraine such as members of the reserve territorial defense forces. After firing, the AT4 is discarded. With all that in mind, The War Zone has compiled brief profiles of the shoulder-fired missiles, rocket launchers, and recoilless rifles that Ukraine has received in foreign military aid packages so far and the weapons it is expected to receive in the future. [9] The U.S. military was still purchasing LAW rockets as of January 2015. The M72 is the most common anti-tank weapon in the Finnish Army. [20], Extended range (ER) Anti-armor version with HEAT warhead. With 39% base accuracy, 13 penetration, 675m range, and only 4 shots, the thing is hot garbage. But what really puts the M72 ahead is rate of fire. The former improves armor penetration while the multi-purpose warhead gives Marines the added capability of an anti-structure round capable of eliminating hardened structures, such as buildings.. Although generally thought of as a Vietnam War-era 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. These weapons are even capable of being used against low and slow flying helicopters, especially during their terminal operations in and out of landing zones. In US military use, the launcher can be fitted with the AN/PAQ-4C, AN/PEQ-2, or the AN/PAS-13 night sights. But unlike the Carl Gustaf, which uses a heavier and more expensive steel tube with rifling,[15] the disposable AT4 design greatly reduces manufacturing costs by using a reinforced smoothbore fiberglass outer tube. Pressures are also kept quite low compared to many traditional guns. The M72 LAW Has Its Advantages The LAW is similar to the AT4 tank killer. Reports indicate that shipments of anti-armor weapons from Denmark and Finland might include different models of M72, possibly very modern Enhanced Capability (EC) types in the case of the Danish aid package. 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. LAW 80: Similar weapon developed in the UK. For other uses, see, Complete AT4 HEAT antitank round (which is preloaded in AT4) and AT8 bunker-busting warhead, Hewish, Mark, "FFV's Lightweight AT4, first of a new family of Swedish anti-armour weapons". However, the M72 enjoyed a new lease on life during the American campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. The standard sights on the AT4 are very rudimentary and it has an effective range of just under 985 feet. Matt Schroeder, a Senior Researcher at Small Arms Survey, an independent organization that investigates the supply and use of small arms and light weapons in international conflicts, has raised the possibility various reports may be confusing Strelas with Igla-series types that would be at least somewhat newer. Project A requires an original investment of $22,500. Politics. However, the project was cancelled due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the subsequent cuts in Western defence budgets. 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. The M72 LAW is the worst AT weapon in the game. Weighing only 5.5 pounds and measuring 24.8 inches long folded, the M72 LAW consists of two tubes, the outmost of which is watertight and holds the trigger arming handle, front-rear sights and rear cover. Editorial Guidelines and Publishing Standards. The tube is mounted facing downward, enabling the drone operator to fire on tanks and armored vehicles from a top attack position while remaining 3 to 4km (1.9 to 2.5mi) away.
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