In the 70s and 80s of the last century, the Soviet Union had a significant quantitative and qualitative superiority in tanks over the NATO bloc. For this reason, a significant part of American weapons were anti-tank. To compensate for the superiority of the USSR in armored vehicles, the United States developed a wide variety of anti-tank weapons, from 155 and 203-mm tactical nuclear charges with an increased level of neutron radiation output to disposable rocket-propelled grenade launchers that could be issued to every soldier.
In the mid-70s, it became quite obvious that the 66-mm disposable M72 LAW grenade launcher was not capable of effectively fighting new-generation tanks protected by multi-layer combined armor. In this regard, the army command within the framework of the ILAW program (Improved Light Anti-Tank Weapon - improved light anti-tank weapon) in 1975 initiated the development of a new grenade launcher with increased efficiency. It was assumed that the promising grenade launcher will replace the M72 LAW in the US armed forces and will be adopted as a single individual infantry anti-tank weapon in the armies of the Allied countries.
The prototype grenade launcher was designated XM132. Taking into account the possibility of establishing mass production in European countries, the design of weapons was carried out in the metric system. Compared to the 66-mm M72 LAW, the caliber of the projected grenade launcher was increased slightly, to only 70 mm. But thanks to a number of innovations, the XM132 had to surpass all disposable grenade launchers existing at that time.
A promising grenade launcher was almost entirely made of composites. A revolutionary innovation for the mid-70s was the manufacture of a fiberglass jet engine housing. Solid jet fuel used for throwing a cumulative grenade had a record at that time in energy performance. The shaped charge was made not by casting, as is usually done, but by pressing. At the time of its development, the XM132 was considered the lightest anti-tank grenade launcher in its caliber. Another feature was that the grenade launcher was not created by private military-industrial companies. All of its components were designed by the US Army's Missile Laboratory in Redstone, Alabama. Work on the creation of a new generation anti-tank grenade launcher in the late 70s, along with the creation of guided artillery shells and combat lasers, were among the top three projects of the highest priority. The bulk of the work was completed in a short time within the walls of the army laboratories by the end of 1975. The contract for the manufacture of prototypes, and in the future for serial production, was concluded with the General Dynamics corporation.
In the late 70s, the leadership of the American military department attached particular importance to the early start of mass production of 70-mm grenade launchers. This was largely due to the buildup of the striking power of Soviet tank and motorized rifle divisions stationed in Europe, and with the massive rearmament of the main battle tanks T-64, T-72 and T-80.
In January 1976, the grenade launcher received its own name - Viper (English - viper) and its tests began soon. Simultaneously with the combat model, a training version was created with a grenade containing a small pyrotechnic charge. Between the beginning of 1978 and the end of 1979, 2,230 rocket-propelled grenades with a total cost of $ 6, 3 million were launched during test firing.
In 1980, servicemen of the American army were connected to the tests of the grenade launcher. In just a year, about 1000 shots were fired with practical and combat grenades. Official military trials began in February 1981 at the Fort Benning Army Test Center. On the first day, February 25, each shooter fired eight rounds of ammunition from various positions, at stationary and moving targets. By the time the second stage of military trials was completed, on September 18, 1981, 1247 grenades had been fired.
During military tests, the "Vipers" of the experimental series demonstrated higher efficiency than those in service with the M72 LAW, but the reliability of the new grenade launcher left much to be desired. The average coefficient of technical reliability, demonstrated by the propulsion system and the trigger, during military tests was 0.947. There were many complaints about the unsatisfactory operation of the piezoelectric fuse of a cumulative grenade or incomplete detonation of the warhead. On average, 15% of launched grenades did not fire properly for one reason or another. After refining the fuse, reducing the threshold value of its operation, general strengthening of the structure and increasing the tightness of the launch tube, during repeated tests of the grenade launcher in June-July 1981, the required level of reliability was confirmed.
At the same time, comparative firing was conducted with the M72 disposable grenade launcher in service. During the tests, it turned out that the 70-mm "Viper" has significant advantages in terms of range and accuracy of firing, and in August 1981 the grenade launcher was put into service. The serial modification was designated FGR-17 Viper.
According to the published data, the FGR-17 Viper grenade launcher weighed 4 kg, which was 0.5 kg more than the M72 LAW. The individual wearable ammunition of one infantryman could be 4 grenade launchers. Length in firing position - 1117 mm. With an initial grenade speed of 257 m / s, the maximum sighting range was 500 m. The effective launch range against moving targets was 250 m. Armor penetration was about 350 mm. It took 12 seconds to bring the grenade launcher into a combat position.
In December 1981, a $ 14.4 million contract was signed with General Dynamics to organize mass production and supply the first batch of combat and training grenade launchers. To train personnel, it was planned to use laser simulators and grenade launchers with an inert warhead. In February 1982, the army command allocated another $ 89, 3 million for the purchase of 60 thousand combat grenade launchers - that is, one "Viper" cost almost $ 1,500. In total, the army planned to purchase 649,100 grenade launchers for $ 882 million. Thus, the cost of the serial FGR-17 Viper grenade launcher was almost 10 times higher than the price of the M72 LAW already in service. At the same time, according to the curator of the project from the army, Colonel Aaron Larkins FGR-17, twice the 66-mm grenade launcher in effective firing range and had a one and a half times greater probability of destroying the target from the first shot.
However, due to the too high price and the allegedly dubious combat effectiveness, the grenade launcher was criticized by a number of high-ranking military and congressmen. It is fair to say that apart from the too high cost, the "Viper" had no other pronounced shortcomings. Of course, he could not overcome the frontal armor of the T-72 or T-80 tanks, but he was quite able to pierce the board, which was not covered by the screen. With good accuracy and firing range, the FGR-17 Viper at the time of its creation surpassed all existing analogues in these parameters. Nagging about the "Viper" began at the stage of military trials. Government officials demanded to limit the volume level of the shot to 180 dB, adjusting it to the norms adopted for small arms. The main opponents of the adoption of the FGR-17 Viper were the US Audit Office and the Committee on the Armed Forces of the US Congress. On January 24, 1983, during a firing practice, an incident occurred with a ruptured launch tube. Government accountants and congressmen, who lobbied for the interests of military-industrial corporations competing with General Dynamics, did everything to ensure that this case received wide publicity, achieved a halt in the production of a grenade launcher and an end to training and test firing under the pretext of its increased danger for military personnel. In total, since 1978, during the shooting of more than 3000 grenades, there have been two cases of damage to the launch tube, but no one was injured.
The army command made an attempt to keep the "Viper" in service and ordered joint retests with foreign-made grenade launchers. In addition to the M72 LAW and the improved Viper Variant, the British LAW 80, the German Armbrust and Panzerfaust 3, the Norwegian M72-750 (modernized M72 LAW), the Swedish AT4, and the French APILAS took part in testing. In addition, reusable grenade launchers were tested separately: the French LRAC F1 and the Swedish Granatgevär m / 48 Carl Gustaf.
70 shots were fired from each grenade launcher, while it was noted that none of them is capable of guaranteeing overcoming the multi-layered frontal armor of a modern tank, additionally covered with dynamic protection.
During test firing, which took place from April 1 to July 31, 1983 at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, it was revealed that the Swedish AT4 is most suitable for the characteristics of armor penetration, weight and cost for disposable grenade launchers. It was also decided to keep the M72 LAW in service, but to increase its combat characteristics by using the developments implemented in the Norwegian M72-750. The sympathy of the American military for the M72 LAW was associated with its low cost; in the early 80s, one copy of the grenade launcher cost the military department $ 128. Although modern tanks in the frontal projection were too tough for him, it was believed that the massive saturation of infantry units with inexpensive disposable rocket-propelled grenade launchers would knock out quite numerous Soviet BMP-1 and other lightly armored vehicles.
After summing up the results of the tests, on September 1, 1983, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense announced that the contract for the production of the FGR-17 Viper would be terminated, and the improved Viper Variant did not meet the requirements. At the same time, the lost profit of General Dynamics amounted to $ 1 billion. Instead of the "Viper", which suffered a crushing defeat, it was decided to purchase Swedish grenade launchers for the army and the marines. In October 1983, an official decision was made on the final completion of the "Viper" program, the withdrawal of grenade launchers from warehouses and their disposal. The Department of Defense, with assurances from General Dynamics to improve the effectiveness and safety of the grenade launcher, tried to revive the Viper Variant, but after a series of joint meetings held by senior military officials and members of the House Armed Services Committee in 1984, this issue has not returned. …
The AT4 84-mm disposable anti-tank rocket launcher was developed by Saab Bofors Dynamics on the basis of the Pskott m / 68 Miniman 74-mm disposable grenade launcher, adopted in the early 70s by the Swedish army. The AT4 grenade launcher, also known as HEAT (English High Explosive Anti-Tank - anti-tank projectile of great power), is designed to destroy armored and unarmored vehicles, as well as enemy manpower. The 84-mm AT4 grenade launcher uses the FFV551 cumulative grenade from the Carl Gustaf M2 reusable grenade launcher, but without a jet engine operating on the trajectory. The combustion of the propellant charge completely occurs before the grenade leaves the reinforced fiberglass barrel, reinforced with composite resin. The rear of the barrel is equipped with an aluminum nozzle. The muzzle and breech cuts of the grenade launcher are covered with covers that are dropped when fired.
Unlike the 66-mm M72 LAW, the mechanical firing mechanism used in the AT4 provides for the need for manual cocking before firing, with the possibility of disarming or setting a manual safety device on a combat platoon. There is a frame-type mechanical sight on the launch tube. Sights in the stowed position are closed with sliding covers and include a diopter rear sight and a front sight. The mass of the grenade launcher is 6, 7 kg, the length is 1020 mm.
An 84-mm caliber cumulative grenade weighing 1, 8 kg leaves the barrel with an initial speed of 290 m / s. Sighting range at moving targets - 200 m. On area targets - 500 m. The minimum safe range of a shot is 30 m, the fuse is cocked at a distance of 10 m from the muzzle. The warhead, equipped with 440 g of HMX, is capable of penetrating 420 mm of homogeneous armor. The grenade is stabilized in flight by a six-point stabilizer that can be deployed after departure and is equipped with a tracer. It is noted that the cumulative grenade has a good armor effect, as well as a fragmentation effect, which allows it to be effectively used to destroy enemy manpower.
Comparing the AT4 with the FGR-17 Viper, it can be noted that thanks to the use of an 84-mm grenade, the Swedish grenade launcher is able to penetrate thicker armor, but this superiority does not seem overwhelming. At the same time, "Viper" surpassed the AT4 in firing accuracy and had less weight. The purchase cost of the grenade launchers turned out to be almost the same. After being adopted, the American army paid $ 1,480 for one 84-mm disposable grenade launcher.
The official adoption of the AT4 into service in the United States took place on September 11, 1985, after which it was assigned the M136 index. In 1987, under the same designation, the grenade launcher was adopted by the Marine Corps. The license for the production of AT4 in the United States was acquired by Honeywell, but 55,000 grenade launchers were purchased in Sweden for emergency equipment of the American contingent in Europe in 1986. Before Honeywell was able to establish its own production, the US Department of Defense purchased more than 100,000 Swedish grenade launchers. It is noteworthy that, although the AT4 was produced at the Saab Bofors Dynamics plant for export to the United States, in Sweden itself the grenade launcher was adopted a year later. The Swedish version received the designation Pskott m / 86 and was distinguished by the presence of an additional front folding handle for ease of holding, later the front handle was used on grenade launchers produced for the American armed forces. In total, Honeywell, Inc and Alliant Tech Systems have produced more than 300,000 AT4s in the United States. In addition to the American army and marines, AT4 grenade launchers were supplied to two dozen countries. From the countries - the former republics of the USSR, AT4 received: Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Soon after the adoption of the M136 into service, the American military demanded an increase in the armor penetration of the grenade launcher and the possibility of guaranteed penetration of the frontal armor of modern Soviet tanks. For this, while maintaining the design solutions of the AT4 in 1991, a 120-mm AT 12-T disposable grenade launcher with a tandem warhead was created. However, due to the larger caliber, the dimensions of the weapon have increased significantly, and the mass has more than doubled. In this regard, as well as due to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the USSR, a decrease in the risk of a full-scale military conflict in Europe and a reduction in defense costs, the serial production of the 120-mm anti-tank grenade launcher was not carried out.
However, Honeywell, in order to improve the combat characteristics of the M136 grenade launcher, produced at the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant in Illinois, independently introduced a number of innovations. Using a special bracket, the AN / PAQ-4C, AN / PEQ-2 or AN / PAS-13 night sights were adapted, which were removed after the shot.
Due to the high cost of the M136 / AT4 anti-tank grenade launcher, it turned out to be too expensive to use it in the process of combat training of personnel for real shooting. For teaching and training, two modifications have been created, which do not differ in weight and dimensions from the original sample. In one sample, a firing device is used with a special 9x19 caliber cartridge equipped with a tracer bullet corresponding to the ballistics of an 84-mm cumulative grenade. Another training model of the grenade launcher is equipped with a special 20-mm imitator projectile, partially reproducing the effect of a shot from a grenade launcher. However, recently, due to the need to dispose of disposable grenade launchers, released in the late 80s and early 90s, military weapons are very widely used during firing practice.
In order to increase combat effectiveness, Honeywell specialists have created several improved versions based on the requirements voiced by the US Department of the Army, based on the design of the original model. The modification, known as the AT4 CS AST (Anti-Structure Tandem Weapon), is designed to destroy long-term firing points and use it during combat in the city. The fragmentation grenade is equipped with a leading charge, piercing a hole in the obstacle, after which the fragmentation warhead flies into the hole made and strikes the enemy's manpower with shrapnel. The mass of the "anti-structural" grenade launcher has increased to 8, 9 kg.
In order to reduce the danger zone behind the shooter, an anti-mass is placed in the barrel - a small amount of non-freezing non-combustible liquid in a destructible container (initially, small balls of non-combustible plastic were used). During the shot, the liquid is thrown back from the barrel in the form of splashes and partially evaporates, significantly reducing the exhaust of powder gases. However, in the variant marked AT4 CS (English Closed Space), the initial velocity of the grenade is reduced by about 15% and the range of the direct shot is slightly reduced. In addition to breaking through walls, the AT4 CS AST grenade launcher can be used against light armored vehicles. The thickness of the armor pierced along the normal is up to 60 mm, while the hole diameter is much larger than when using a standard 84-mm cumulative grenade.
Due to the increased protection of the main battle tanks, the AT4 CS HP (High Penetration) model with armor penetration up to 600 mm of homogeneous armor was adopted.
The mass of the AT4 CS HP grenade launcher is 7, 8 kg. The initial speed of the grenade is 220 m / s. Due to a decrease in the initial velocity of the projectile, the range of an aimed shot at a moving tank was reduced to 170 m. Although the armor penetration of the AT4 CS HP modification increased by about 30% compared to the original AT4 HEAT model, there is no data on its ability to penetrate dynamic armor. From which it follows that even the most modern AT4 models cannot guarantee the defeat of modern tanks.
M136 / AT4 grenade launchers were actively used in the course of hostilities. They were first used to suppress gun emplacements in December 1989 during the invasion of Panama. During the anti-Iraqi operation "Desert Storm", disposable grenade launchers were used very limitedly. But on the other hand, 84-mm grenade launchers were used in significant quantities during the "anti-terrorist" campaign in Afghanistan and during the Second Iraqi War.
In Iraq, grenade launchers were fired mainly at various structures and shelters. Due to the fact that the grenade launcher was often used in the cramped conditions of urban development and in the immediate vicinity of its vehicles, the Ministry of Defense refused to purchase the standard version of the M136 and finances only the purchase of modifications labeled AT4 CS.
A number of M136 grenade launchers were transferred to the Iraqi security forces, and they were used in hostilities against the Islamists. In 2009, the Colombian authorities accused Venezuela of selling AT4 to the Colombian leftist group FARC, which is waging an armed struggle in the jungle. However, the Venezuelan leadership said that the grenade launchers were captured in 1995 during an attack on an army warehouse. The AT4 grenade launchers, along with other American-made weapons, were at the disposal of the Georgian military in 2008. However, it is not known how successfully they were used during the Georgian-Russian armed confrontation.
Currently, the M136 / AT4 in the US armed forces are the main freelance individual infantry weapons, practically displacing the 66-mm grenade launchers of the M72 LAW family from use. It can be expected that new modifications of the 84-mm disposable grenade launcher will soon appear, including those with a tandem cumulative and thermobaric warhead.
In the mid-80s, the Command of Special Operations Forces drew attention to the fact that the 90-mm M67 grenade launcher no longer meets modern requirements. Special forces, paratroopers and marines, operating in difficult natural and climatic conditions, needed a reliable weapon capable of fighting modern armored vehicles and providing fire support in assault offensive actions, making passages in barriers and walls of buildings.
In the early 80s, McDonnell Douglas Missile Systems Co, commissioned by the US Marine Corps, created a reusable grenade launcher, designated SMAW (Shoulder-launched Multi-purpose Assault Weapon). When creating the grenade launcher, the developments obtained during the implementation of the initiative program for the creation of the 81-mm SMAWT grenade launcher (English Short-Range Man-Portable Antitank Weapon Technology - portable short-range anti-tank weapons) were used. To reduce the mass, the launch tube of the SMAWT grenade launcher was made of a layered polymer material reinforced with fiberglass thread. The SMAW grenade launcher uses technical solutions previously tested in the French 89-mm LRAC F1 and the Israeli 82-mm B-300.
The SMAW grenade launcher system is a reusable smoothbore launcher with a length of 825 mm, to which a disposable transport and launch container with various types of grenades is connected with the help of a quick-release coupling. On the 83.5-mm launcher, a fire control unit with two handles and an electric ignition-type trigger, a bracket for attaching sights and a 9x51 mm sighting rifle are attached. Additionally, there is a backup open sight. In addition to two handles and a shoulder rest, the launcher is equipped with a folding two-legged bipod designed for shooting from a prone position.
After docking the TPK with the launcher, the weapon length is 1371 mm. The grenade launcher weighs 7, 54 kg, the mass of the weapon in the firing position, depending on the type of shot, is from 11, 8 to 12, 6 kg. The grenade launcher is served by two numbers of combat crew (shooter and loader). In this case, the practical rate of fire is 3 rounds per minute. But if necessary, one person can conduct the fire.
The semi-automatic sighting rifle, paired with a launcher, is designed to increase the likelihood of hitting a target. The ballistic characteristics of tracer 9-mm bullets coincide with the flight path of rocket-propelled grenades at ranges of up to 500 meters. Tracer cartridges Mk 217 are loaded into detachable box magazines of 6 pieces.
During aiming, the grenade launcher performs rough aiming with the help of a 3, 6x optical or night sight AN / PVS-4, after which he opens fire from the sighting device, and introduces the necessary amendments to the sight in terms of range and direction, taking into account the speed along the path of bullets. target movement or crosswind. After the tracer bullets hit the target, the shooter switches the trigger and launches a rocket-propelled grenade. At a short range or when there is a lack of time, the shot is fired without zeroing.
The Mk 153 SMAW grenade launcher was put into service in 1984. At first, the main customer of the grenade launcher was the Marine Corps. Unlike other models of reusable rocket-propelled grenade launchers previously adopted by the United States, the main purpose of the Mk 153 SMAW was to suppress firing points, destroy field fortifications, and clear wire barriers and anti-tank hedgehogs. The fight against armored vehicles was seen as a secondary task, which was reflected in the range of ammunition. All rocket-propelled grenades have the same scheme, with a solid-propellant jet engine installed in the tail section and feather stabilizers that open after flying out of the barrel.
The main ammunition was originally considered a high-explosive grenade Mk 3 HEDP (English High-Explosive Dual-Purpose - high-explosive, dual-use), leaving the barrel with an initial speed of 220 m / s. The warhead of the high-explosive ammunition, containing 1100 g of powerful explosives, was equipped with a contact piezoelectric fuse. The projectile is capable of penetrating 200 mm of concrete, 300 mm of brickwork, or 2.1 m of a wall of sandbags. The fuse automatically selects the moment of detonation and distinguishes between "soft" and "hard" targets. On "soft" objects, such as sandbags or earthen parapet, detonation is delayed until the projectile penetrates the target as deep as possible, producing the greatest destructive effect. The Mk 6 HEAA (High-Explosive Anti-Armor) cumulative grenade is effective against armored vehicles with naked dynamic armor, when meeting at an angle of 90 °, it can penetrate a 600 mm homogeneous armor plate. The Mk 4 CPR (Common Practice) training ammunition is similar in ballistic characteristics to the Mk 3 HEDP high-explosive fragmentation ammunition. A blue plastic projectile is loaded with white powder, which gives a clearly visible cloud when it hits a solid obstacle.
Some time after the adoption of the 83.5-mm universal grenade launcher into service, several more types of specialized ammunition were created for it. Rocket-propelled grenade Mk 80 NE (English Novel Explosive - high-explosive of a new type) is equipped with a thermobaric mixture, in terms of its destructive effect it is equivalent to about 3.5 kg of TNT. Several years ago, a high-explosive fragmentation grenade with a tandem warhead was adopted for the grenade launcher, designed to break through reinforced concrete and brick walls. The leading warhead punches a hole in the wall, after which a second, fragmentation warhead flies in after it and hits the enemy in cover. For use in urban environments, the troops are supplied with grenade launcher shots marked CS (Closed Space), which can be fired from enclosed spaces. In addition to the cumulative grenade, all other combat rocket-propelled grenades can be used to destroy lightly armored vehicles.
In the US Marine Corps, each company in the state has six Mk 153 SMAW grenade launchers, which are available in a fire support platoon. The platoon includes an assault squad (section) of fire support of thirteen personnel. Each fire support squad, in turn, consists of six crews, commanded by a sergeant.
During Operation Desert Storm, the SMAW grenade launcher was used by the USMC to destroy the field fortifications of the Iraqi army. In total, in the conflict zone, the Marines had 150 grenade launchers and 5,000 rounds for them. Based on the positive experience of using assault grenade launchers, the army command ordered the Mk 153 SMAW modified for parachuting, which entered the 82nd Airborne Division.
In the mid-90s, a disposable M141 SMAW-D assault grenade launcher was created especially for army units. The disposable grenade launcher weighs 7, 1 kg. The length in the stowed position is 810 mm, in the combat position - 1400 mm.
The US Congress approved the purchase of 6,000 disposable assault grenade launchers, which are considered a cheaper and more effective alternative to the M136 / AT4 when used against pillboxes, bunkers and various shelters. The M141 SMAW-D uses a high-explosive Mk 3 HEDP rocket-propelled grenade with an adaptive fuse.
In 2008, based on the experience of the combat use of the Mk 153 SMAW, a program was launched to create an improved reusable SMAW II grenade launcher. While maintaining the existing range of ammunition, the updated grenade launcher was required to reduce mass, increase safety for calculations and the possibility of using it in cramped conditions. By using new, more durable composite materials and replacing the sighting rifle with a multifunctional thermal imaging sight with a laser rangefinder and a ballistic processor, the weight of the launcher was reduced by 2 kg. The scope for the SMAW II was developed by Raytheon Missile Systems Corporation. Tests of the weapon, which received the serial index Mk 153 Mod 2, began in 2012. It is reported that the Marine Corps intends to order 1,717 new launchers worth $ 51,700,000. Thus, the cost of one launcher equipped with new sighting equipment will be $ 30,110, excluding the price of ammunition. The effectiveness of the grenade launcher is also supposed to be increased by the introduction of programmable fragmentation ammunition with air blasting, which will destroy the manpower hiding in the trenches.
The Mk 153 SMAW and M141 SMAW-D grenade launchers are popular among the troops. In the course of hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq, multifunctional assault grenade launchers have established themselves as a powerful and fairly accurate means of dealing with long-term firing points and fortified positions, also suitable for effectively destroying enemy personnel. In Afghanistan, American paratroopers and marines often fired Mk 153 grenade launchers at the entrances to the caves with the Taliban entrenched there. During the sweeps carried out in the villages, in the event of armed resistance, Mk 3 HEDP high-explosive grenades easily broke through walls built of sun-dried mud bricks.
In 2007, in Iraqi Mosul, 83-mm Mk 80 NE rocket-propelled grenades with a thermobaric warhead were used for the first time in street battles. It is noted that such ammunition turned out to be especially effective when it hit the windows and doorways of buildings where the militants sat down. In a number of cases, when, due to the proximity of the line of contact, it was impossible to use aircraft and artillery, SMAW grenade launchers turned out to be the only weapon capable of solving a combat mission. In addition to the ILC and US air assault units, the Mk 153 SMAW is in service in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan.
As you know, the Special Operations Command and the US Marine Corps have the opportunity to independently choose for themselves and purchase various weapons, regardless of the army. In the past, there were frequent cases when small-scale samples or imported weapons purchased in small quantities entered the armament of the marines or special forces units.
Since the portable light M47 Dragon ATGM did not meet the reliability requirements, was frankly inconvenient to use and had a low combat effectiveness, small units operating in isolation from the main forces needed a reliable and easy-to-use anti-tank weapon, superior in firing range to disposable grenade launchers and capable fire high-explosive fragmentation shells.
In the mid-1980s, the Special Operations Command ordered several dozen 84-mm Carl Gustaf M2 rocket-propelled grenade launchers (military index M2-550), which entered the 75th Ranger Regiment, replacing the 90-mm M67 "recoilless rifle". The Carl Gustaf M2 grenade launcher, which was adopted in Sweden in the early 70s, was a further development of the Carl Gustaf m / 48 (Carl Gustaf M1) model of the 1948 model and had a number of advantages over the 90 mm M67 grenade launcher., "Karl Gustov" is a more accurate and reliable weapon, its dimensions and weight turned out to be less than that of the American grenade launcher, and the effective range of fire and armor penetration are higher. An unloaded Carl Gustaf M2 with a double telescopic sight weighs 14.2 kg and has a length of 1065 mm, which is 1.6 kg and 311 mm less than the M67. In addition, the Swedish grenade launcher used a wider range of ammunition. However, the mass and dimensions of the Swedish grenade launcher still turned out to be very significant and, as a massive anti-tank weapon in the near zone, the United States preferred the M136 / AT4 disposable grenade launchers, which used the FFV551 cumulative grenade developed for the Carl Gustaf M2. However, in the course of various campaigns to "establish democracy" it turned out that in the tactical link "platoon-company" the American infantry desperately needs a universal reusable grenade launcher capable not only of fighting tanks at a distance of 300-500 m, but also of suppressing enemy firing points outside the effective range of small arms fire. Since it turned out to be too expensive to use ATGMs for this.
In 1993, in the USA, within the framework of the MAAWS (Multi-role Anti-Armor Weapon System) program, testing of a new modification of the Carl Gustaf M3 grenade launcher began. The weapon was lightened thanks to the use of a reinforced fiberglass barrel, into which a thin-walled steel rifled liner was inserted. Initially, the life of the barrel was limited to 500 shots. the assigned resource was 1000 shots. To aim the weapon, a 3-fold telescopic sight or duplicate mechanical sights are used. For shooting from a prone position, in addition to the height-adjustable monopod support, which is also used as a shoulder rest, a bipedal bipod can be installed. To increase the efficiency of shooting, a mustache is provided. installation of an optoelectronic sight combined with a laser rangefinder or night optics.
The M3 MAAWS is loaded from the breech of the weapon. The left-swinging valve is equipped with a conical nozzle (Venturi tube). Combat rate of fire is 6 rds / min. In battle, the grenade launcher is served by two crew numbers. One soldier is firing, and the second performs the duties of a loader and spotter-observer. In addition, the second number carries 6 shots to the grenade launcher.
The ammunition includes shots with cumulative (including tandem) warheads with armor penetration of 600-700 mm, armor-piercing high-explosive (anti-bunker), high-explosive fragmentation, fragmentation with programmable air blasting, buckshot, lighting and smoke. The shells designed to combat armored vehicles have a jet engine that is launched at a safe distance after flying out of the barrel. The muzzle velocity of the projectiles is 220-250 m / s.
A total of 12 different types of ammunition are available for firing the Carl Gustaf family of grenade launchers, including two training ammunition with inert filling. A relatively recently developed projectile HEAT 655 CS, which can be used in limited volumes due to the use of small non-combustible granules as anti-mass. Another recent innovation was the creation of a buckshot shot that contains 2500 tungsten balls with a diameter of 2.5 mm. Although the range of a buckshot shot is only 150 m, it mows down all living things in the 10 ° sector. In real combat operations, the grenade launcher was used in more than 90% of cases against fortifications and suppression of enemy fire, for which high-explosive fragmentation shells were used. Real cases of using the M3 MAAWS against armored vehicles can be counted on one hand, which, however, is not due to the shortcomings of the grenade launcher, but to the fact that the Americans prefer to fight "remotely", knocking out enemy armored vehicles with aircraft and long-range systems.
The US military first tested the M3 MAAWS in a combat situation in Afghanistan in 2011. Grenade launchers were used as a means of fire reinforcement of mobile groups and at stationary checkpoints. At the same time, projectiles with air detonation were especially effective. Their use made it possible to destroy the militants hiding among the stones at a distance of up to 1200 m. In the dark, 84-mm lighting shells were fired to control the terrain.
According to information published in Jane's Missiles & Rockets magazine in 2015, the US Army has officially adopted the Carl Gustaf M3 (MAAWS) 84-mm rifled hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher manufactured by the Swedish group Saab AB. According to the staffing table, the M3 MAAWS grenade launcher crew is added to each infantry platoon. Thus, the US Army Infantry Brigade will be armed with 27 84-mm grenade launchers.
Soon after the adoption of the M3 MAAWS, information appeared about the tests in the United States of the next model - the Carl Gustaf M4. The updated grenade launcher has become even lighter due to the use of a titanium barrel with a carbon nozzle. In general, the weight of the barrel has decreased by 1, 1 kg, the weight of the nozzle - by 0, 8 kg, the new body made of carbon fiber made it possible to save another 0.8 kg. At the same time, the barrel length was reduced from 1065 to 1000 mm. The resource of the grenade launcher remains the same - 1000 shots; a mechanical shot counter has been added to monitor the state of the barrel. Thanks to the introduction of a fuse with a double degree of protection, it became possible to carry a loaded grenade launcher, which was prohibited on early models. The new version of Carl Gustaf has become much more convenient. The front handle and shoulder rest are movable and allow the shooter to adjust the grenade launcher to his individual characteristics. Another guide, located on the right, is designed to install additional devices, such as a flashlight or laser designator.
An important feature of the M4 is the ability to install a computerized sight, which, thanks to the presence of a laser rangefinder, a temperature sensor and a communication system for two-way interaction between the sight and the projectile, can set the aiming point with high accuracy and program the air detonation of the fragmentation warhead. It is reported that a guided anti-tank missile with a "soft" launch is being created for the Carl Gustaf M4, the main engine of which is launched at a safe distance from the muzzle. The missile is equipped with a thermal homing head and captures before launch. The target is attacked from above.
Long before the adoption of the "Karl Gustov" grenade launchers into service in the United States, it received widespread distribution and was officially supplied to more than 40 countries of the world. The grenade launcher has proven to be highly effective in many regional conflicts. It was used by the Indian army during the Indo-Pakistani wars, during the Vietnam War, in the Middle East conflicts, in the armed confrontation between Iran and Iraq. One of the most interesting episodes of the use of the 84-mm grenade launcher is the shelling of the Argentine corvette "Guerrico". A warship with a total displacement of 1320 tons was damaged by fire from the shore on April 3, 1982, when, during the Falklands conflict, she tried to support the Argentine landing in the port of Grytviken with fire. In this case, an Argentine sailor was killed and several people were injured. Subsequently, the British Marines used grenade launchers during the assault on the Argentine fortifications in the Falklands. Grenade launchers "Karl Gustov" were actively used to fire at stationary targets and against armored vehicles in Libya and Syria. In addition to the outdated T-55, T-62 and BMP-1 tanks, several T-72s were destroyed and knocked out by the fire of 84-mm Swedish-made grenade launchers. Despite the fact that the prototype of the grenade launcher appeared 70 years ago, thanks to its successful design, high modernization potential, the use of modern structural materials, new ammunition and advanced fire control systems, "Karl Gustov" will remain in service for the foreseeable future.
