The Mk.47, or Striker 40, is the most advanced American belt-fed heavy-duty automatic grenade launcher. Like most models of such weapons developed in NATO countries, it was originally created for the use of 40x53 mm ammunition and allows the use of all types of grenades of this caliber. The grenade launcher was adopted by the American army in 2006 and has been in service ever since. In addition to the US Army and Special Operations Forces, the Australian and Israeli armies are also operators of this automatic grenade launcher.
The American company Saco Defense was involved in the creation of a new 40-mm automatic grenade launcher, which was supposed to replace the time-tested, but very heavy Mk.19 Mod.3 grenade launcher, which debuted during the Vietnam War. Today it is a division of Ordnance and Tactical Systems, part of the General Dynamics concern. Work on the creation of a new automatic grenade launcher started in the United States in the late 1980s. The main task facing the developers of the new grenade launcher was to facilitate its design and increase its combat effectiveness through the use of a special computerized sighting system. It is worth noting that the engineers did an excellent job of reducing the weight of the developed grenade launcher, which "lost" almost twice as compared to its predecessor.
The first experimental samples of the new automatic grenade launcher, which received the designation Striker 40, were presented by 1995. At the same time, the US Department of Defense officially approved the creation of a single development team, which consisted of Saco Defense specialists (responsible for creating the automatic grenade launcher itself and integrating all systems) and Raytheon (developing a computerized sight). Later, specialists from the Norwegian-Finnish company NAMMO joined the development team, who worked on the creation of programmable 40-mm ammunition with remote detonation in the air.
Automatic grenade launcher Mk 47
In 2003, the United States Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) officially adopted the Striker 40 grenade launcher system under the designation Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher (ALGL) Mk.47 mod.0. Also, the 40mm automatic grenade launcher is widely used by the army and the Marine Corps. Since 2006, it has been used in hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in recent years has been used by fighters of the US Special Operations Forces Command in Syria.
The Mk.47 automatic grenade launcher adopted by the American army can fire all types of standard high-speed 40x53 mm NATO ammunition, ensuring reliable destruction of infantry and unarmored targets located in open areas, and the grenade launcher can also be used to combat lightly armored enemy targets. According to General Dynamics, the greatest performance can be achieved when using the grenade launcher in conjunction with the modern Lightweight Video Sight II (LVS II) sight. LVS II is a special integrated module that allows the shooter to detect, recognize, identify and engage targets in both day and night conditions. A ballistic computer, a laser rangefinder (determines the distance to the target at a distance of up to 2590 m), a daytime color video camera, a thermal imager (640x512 resolution) and a high-resolution color display are integrated into such a sighting system.
Easel automatic grenade launcher Mk. 47 mod. 0 is a weapon that is based on an automatic with a short barrel travel when it is rigidly locked. The fire is conducted from a closed bolt to increase the probability of destroying the target with the first shot from a grenade launcher. The weapon is fed by a tape, from a standard loose tape. The standard automatic grenade launcher is used in conjunction with the lightweight Mk. 108, on which the aiming mechanisms are located, as well as a latch, which allows, after zeroing in, to rigidly fix the weapon to concentrate fire at a given point. Fire control occurs through the use of two handles, which are located at the rear of the receiver and the L-shaped trigger located between them.
Automatic grenade launcher Mk 47 with sighting complex Lightweight Video Sight II
A key element of the Mk. 47 mod. 0 was a computerized sighting system AN / PWG-1, created by specialists from Raytheon. Such a sighting system included a daytime television channel with a threefold increase and displaying a picture on a built-in display, a ballistic computer and a built-in rangefinder. In addition, the AN / PWG-1 sight received an interface that allows you to connect a night sight operating in the IR range to it, with the image of the night channel being displayed on an existing display. The computerized sight is controlled using buttons and a small four-position joystick, which are located at the rear of the automatic grenade launcher above the trigger. The use of a computerized sight can significantly increase the accuracy of shooting (especially for medium and long range), as well as achieve a decrease in ammunition consumption compared to grenade launcher systems not equipped with similar sighting systems.
One of the features of the Mk 47 automatic grenade launcher is also the use of modern 40-mm grenades, equipped with a remote controlled fuse. At the same time, it is possible to use any similar ammunition of 40x53 mm caliber, including those of European production. For example, it is possible to use the C171 PPHE-RF air detonation ammunition developed in Europe with radio frequency programming. The grenade is equipped with an electronics unit and a receiving antenna. The transfer of data to the ammunition is carried out after its departure from the bore using a radio frequency channel and a special MPU (Manual Programming Unit) module, on which the grenade detonation range is manually set. The use of such a module is significantly cheaper than modern fire control systems for automatic grenade launchers. This ammunition was adopted for use with the modern German automatic grenade launcher HK GMG, but together with the MPU module it can be easily used with any grenade launcher of the same caliber.
The Norwegian-Finnish company NAMMO specifically for the American Mk 47 automatic grenade launcher developed a 40-mm Mk285 PPHE air blast ammunition. In many ways, it is similar in design to the C171 PPHE-RF, only instead of an antenna it has a slip ring. The transfer of data to the fuse occurs due to these contacts even when the grenade is in the chamber. At the same time, when detonated, both ammunition form 1450 striking fragments.
Automatic grenade launcher Mk 47
In addition to the existing 40-mm grenades for the Mk 47 automatic grenade launcher, combined cumulative-high-explosive fragmentation ammunition with an air detonation function was also created: MK314 HEDP-RF with radio frequency programming and MK314 HEDP-AB with contact programming. In the event of an air blast in high-explosive fragmentation mode, these ammunition form 1200 striking fragments, and in the cumulative jet formation mode, they are able to penetrate 65 mm of homogeneous armor. At the same time, all four of the listed 40-mm ammunition (C171 PPHE-RF, Mk285 PPHE, MK314 HEDP-AB and HEDP-RF) have an initial muzzle velocity of 240 m / s, and their detonation time can be programmed with an accuracy of one millisecond.
The performance characteristics of the Mk 47:
Caliber - 40 mm.
Grenade - 40x53 mm.
Length - 940 mm.
Barrel length - 330 mm.
Height - 205 mm.
Width - 255 mm.
The body weight of the grenade launcher is 18 kg.
Weight with a tripod and sighting system - 41 kg.
Rate of fire - 225-300 rds / min.
Effective firing range at point targets - up to 1500 m.
The maximum firing range is 2200 m.
