By the mid-70s, the anti-tank weapons available in the British army, designed to arm individual shooters, in many ways did not meet modern requirements and could not effectively deal with Soviet tanks. The individual anti-tank weapons in the possession of the British infantry were 75mm No.94 rifle grenades and L1A1 LAW66 disposable 66mm rocket-propelled grenade launchers. However, the experience of hostilities in Indochina showed the low efficiency of the American counterparts of these anti-tank weapons, and the British military leadership initiated the development of a disposable grenade launcher of increased power, with increased accuracy and firing range. The 84-mm L14A1 MAW grenade launcher available in the troops could confidently fight tanks that did not have multi-layer combined armor and dynamic protection at a distance of up to 300 m. But the British version of the Carl Gustaf M2 was too heavy for individual fighters to use.
The development of a new anti-tank grenade launcher in the late 70s was entrusted to the state enterprise Royal Ordnance, which was the traditional supplier of small arms and artillery weapons to the British army. In 1981, Hunting Engineering joined the creation of the grenade launcher. In 1983, a sample was presented for testing, which received the designation LAW 80 (English Light Anti-armor Weapon for the 80 - Light anti-tank weapon of the 80s).
Conceptually, the British grenade launcher repeated the disposable American M72, but had a caliber of 94 mm and weighed about 10 kg. The effective firing range is up to 300 m, the maximum is 500 m. The initial speed of the grenade is 240 m / s. A cumulative grenade weighing 4 kg is capable of penetrating 600 mm of homogeneous armor. The warhead of the grenade is equipped with a bottom electric fuse with a piezoelectric sensor in the warhead, which provides detonation at an angle of encounter with a target of up to 80 °. The projectile is stabilized on the trajectory with the help of four folding plastic feathers. To reduce the dispersion of the projectile, it rotates at a low speed.
The starting device consists of two telescopically expandable tubes. At the first stage, the pipes were made from several layers of fiberglass impregnated with epoxy resin, but on serial samples the fiberglass was replaced with Kevlar. The pipes in the stowed position are shifted and closed with covers made of elastic plastic, which ensure tightness and protection from mechanical damage. An elastic belt for transporting weapons is attached to the upper surface of the launcher. After removing the back cover, the pipe with the grenade moves to the position in which it is automatically fixed. Unlike the American 66-mm M72 grenade launcher on the LAW 80, it is possible to transfer it back from the combat position to the stowed one. The length in the stowed position is 1000 mm, in the combat position - 1500 mm. Transfer time from traveling to combat position - 10 s.
On the left side of the launch tube is an optical sight made of plastic, in the stowed position it is protected by a movable cover. For the possibility of shooting at night, the sight is equipped with a reticle with tritium illumination. It is also possible to install a Kite 4x non-illuminated night sight on the grenade launcher with a vision range of up to 400 m. The weight of the night sight is 1 kg, the time of continuous operation without changing power sources is 36 hours.
To increase the likelihood of hitting a target, a 9-mm sighting rifle is installed in the lower front part of the launch tube. Like the launcher, the rifle is disposable; its reloading and further use is not provided. In order to minimize weight and cost, its barrel is made of aluminum alloy. The trigger switch has two positions and allows you to fire either from a rifle or from a grenade launcher. For zeroing, a tracer cartridge is used, whose ballistics at a distance of up to 500 m coincides with the flight path of the grenade. After the shooter is convinced that the aiming of the weapon is correct and the tracer bullets hit the intended target, he switches the trigger mechanism and, with the same setting of the sight, a rocket-propelled grenade is launched. With a short firing range, zeroing in with tracer bullets may not be performed.
In 1986, the British War Department signed a contract with Hunting Engineering for £ 200 million. Over 10 years, 250 thousand grenade launchers and 500 electronic simulators were produced. In addition to the British Army and the Royal Marines, Jordan purchased 3,000 grenade launchers. LAW 80 was also in service in Oman and Sri Lanka. In the early 80s, the British grenade launcher was tested in the United States, and he was one of the contenders in the competition to replace the 70-mm Viper disposable grenade launcher. In the event of a contract, Hunting Engineering was ready to supply grenade launchers at a price of $ 1300 per unit. However, the Americans preferred the Swedish 84-mm AT4 disposable grenade launcher.
On the basis of the LAW 80 grenade launcher in the late 80s, the Lawmine autonomous self-propelling rocket-propelled anti-tank mine was created. It was envisaged that anti-tank mines, capable of being in standby mode for up to 15 days, would be placed on the routes of movement of Soviet tanks in Western Europe and independently hit them at a distance of up to 100 m. Their activation was to be carried out using acoustic and laser sensors. There was no sighting rifle on the mine. However, later this program was recognized as too expensive, and mass production of jet mines was not carried out.
Taking into account that the production of the grenade launcher was completed in 1997, and the guaranteed shelf life of the product is 10 years, it can be argued with a high degree of probability that the majority of users have already written off the existing LAW 80. as a temporary measure, it purchased 2,500 disposable L2A1 ILAW grenade launchers. This model is analogous to the Swedish-American M136 / AT4 grenade launcher. A cheaper alternative was a new modification of the well-known American M72 grenade launcher. Model L72A9 in the British army received the name LASM (English Light Anti-Structures Missile - Light anti-structural missile).
The 66-mm LASM grenade launcher weighing 4, 3 kg is a versatile weapon suitable for the destruction of light armored vehicles, manpower and the destruction of field fortifications. The British got acquainted with this grenade launcher and evaluated it in practice during the "anti-terrorist" campaign in Afghanistan, during joint actions with the Americans. Compared to the L2A1 ILAW, the new M72 modification is a much lighter and more compact weapon, which is especially important for small units operating in mountainous areas.
Another British acquisition, based on the experience gained during the "anti-terrorist" campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, was the disposable 90-mm MATADOR grenade launcher (English Man-portable Anti-Tank, Anti-DOoR - Anti-tank and anti-bunker weapons carried by one person)).
The MATADOR grenade launcher is a joint development of the Singapore state agency DSTA and the Israeli defense corporation Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, with the participation of the German company Dynamit Nobel AG. It is reported that when creating a new grenade launcher, technical solutions were used that were previously used in the German 67-mm RPG Armbrusts. In particular, the technology of using a counterweight from plastic granules has been completely borrowed. The grenade is thrown from the barrel using a powder charge located between two pistons. While the front piston throws the grenade outward, the rear piston pushes the counterweight in the opposite direction, which allows you to safely fire from an enclosed space.
The first variant, known as the MATADOR-MP, was intended to destroy armored vehicles with a homogeneous armor thickness of up to 150 mm and could punch a hole in a 450 mm brick wall. An inertial fuse, when firing at soft targets, such as a barricade made of sandbags or an earthen embankment, detonates at the moment of maximum penetration of the projectile into the obstacle. The Picatinny rail provides for the installation of a night sight or a laser rangefinder.
The Matador-WB grenade launcher is designed to destroy brick and concrete walls and is especially effective in urban environments. According to advertising data, after the "antimaterial" grenade hits a standard reinforced concrete slab used for wall construction in urban areas, a hole with a diameter of 750 to 1000 mm is formed, into which a soldier with full ammunition is quite capable of crawling through.
In 2009, shortly after the end of Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli media published information that Matador grenade launchers performed very well during the hostilities in the Gaza Strip against the armed formations of the Palestinian movement Hamas.
In the British army, under the designation ASM L2A1, the Matador-AS grenade launcher (from the English Anti-Structure) was adopted. This sample weighing 8, 9 kg and 1000 mm long is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 500 m. The grenade launcher can be used to fight lightly armored combat vehicles and destroy manpower hiding in bunkers and outside the walls of buildings.
Available in the British army, the L2A1 ILAW, LASM, ASM L2A1 grenade launchers, as well as the LAW 80, which has already been removed from service, are quite limited in terms of the defeat of modern tanks with combined multilayer armor. As a full-fledged replacement for the LAW 80 grenade launcher, the British military considered a light anti-tank missile system, similar in principle to the American FGM-172 SRAW, adopted in 2001 by the US ILC.
The new ATGM, designated MBT LAW (Main Battle Tank and Light Anti-tank Weapon), is a joint British-Swedish development. Also, the weapon is sometimes referred to as NLAW (English New Light Anti-tank Weapon - new light anti-tank weapon). In the course of creating a one-time anti-tank complex, the developments of the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics on the AT4 family of grenade launchers and the RBS 56B BILL 2 ATGM and the achievements of the British aerospace giant Thales Air Defense Limited in electronics and rocketry were used.
As in the American FGM-172 SRAW, before the launch of the MBT LAW missile, the target movement parameters are captured for 3-5 seconds. After launch, the inertial guidance system automatically keeps the missile in the line of sight, making adjustments for target movement speed, crosswind and range. But unlike the American complex, in which the operating time in the pre-launch mode did not exceed 12 s, after which the battery had to be replaced, during target acquisition, the MBT LAW guidance operator has the ability to repeatedly turn on and off the guidance unit. Thus, the MBT LAW at close range combines the capabilities of an ATGM with the ease of use of an RPG. A simple telescopic sight is used to aim the weapon at the target, but a night thermal imaging sight can be optionally installed.
The head of the rocket has a caliber of 150 mm, and the body is 115 mm. The warhead is detonated by the command of the magnetic and laser sensors, when the missile is flying over the target. There is also the possibility of hitting a target as a result of a direct hit. The choice of the mode is made by the operator before starting.
The shaped charge with a diameter of 102 mm is structurally similar to the warhead used in the Swedish RBS 56B BILL 2 ATGM. Its armor penetration has not been disclosed, but according to expert estimates, it is at least 500 mm, which is more than enough to defeat the relatively thin upper armor of the tank. This was confirmed during field tests, in which the Soviet-made T-72 main battle tank was used. At the same time, explosives were placed in the tank in an amount equivalent to the ammunition load of 22 125-mm shells.
Disposable ATGM can hit armored vehicles at a distance of up to 600 m. The fuse is cocked 20 m from the muzzle. The flight time of the rocket at a distance of 400 m is about 2 s. The relatively small mass of the disposable MBT LAW ATGM - 12, 5 kg, makes it possible to carry and use it by one serviceman. The length of the launch tube is 1016 mm.
The MBT LAW ATGM implements the soft start technology, previously developed by Saab Bofors Dynamics on a special modification of the AT4 CS disposable grenade launcher. Thanks to this, it is possible to launch a rocket from the premises. This undoubtedly facilitates the use of the anti-tank complex in urban conditions and expands its tactical capabilities.
In 2005, the governments of Great Britain and Sweden agreed on the joint production of MBT LAW anti-tank systems and the supply of weapons for export. The main manufacturer of the new ATGM for the British and Swedish armies was the Thales Air Defense Ltd plant located in Northern Ireland, and the complexes for the Finnish army were decided to be produced at the plant of the Swedish company SBD. The preliminary order, issued by the British Department of Defense, amounted to 20 thousand copies at the cost of one MBT LAW ATGM in 2008 € 25,000.
The first batch of anti-tank systems was transferred to the British military at the end of 2008. In the same year, Finland ordered a batch of light disposable anti-tank systems worth € 38 million. Indonesia, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia also bought the MBT LAW anti-tank systems. The new short-range ATGM was at the disposal of the British military contingent in Afghanistan. However, there were no worthy goals for him. The Saudis were the first to use MBT LAW in battle during the invasion of Yemen. It is reported that the MBT LAW ATGM was used in 2015 against the Houthi armored vehicles during the fighting for the port city of Aden.
In connection with the rather high combat and service-operational characteristics of the MBT LAW ATGM, anti-tank weapons experts estimate it higher than the American light one-time FGM-172 SRAW complex, which is currently withdrawn from service. The designers of the British-Swedish ATGM were able to create a more reliable and easy-to-use weapon, with a fairly high probability of hitting the target from the first shot.
However, due to its high cost, the MBT LAW anti-tank complex cannot be considered a full replacement for disposable grenade launchers, since it is not realistic to equip every soldier with it. It is economically unprofitable for every target on the battlefield to use ammunition that is several times more costly.
In the mid-90s, the British company British Aerospace, together with the French Aerospatiale and the German Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH, were working on the creation of medium-range ATGM systems with ATGM guidance using the "laser trail" method. The new anti-tank complex, designated TRIGAT-MR (Third Generation AntiTank, Long Range - third-generation short-range anti-tank missile), was intended to replace the second generation anti-tank missile systems MILAN, HOT and Swingfire with the transmission of control commands over a wire line. The use of laser radiation for targeting an anti-tank missile made it possible to increase the missile's flight speed and increase the noise immunity of the complex. The use of such a guidance system, as in the second generation complexes, required constant tracking of the target by the operator, but at the same time, this option was much cheaper than anti-tank missiles, in which the "fire and forget" principle is implemented. The dimensions and weight of the TRIGAT-MR should have remained approximately the same as that of the MILAN ATGM, and the launch range should have been 2400-2600 m. From the very beginning, it was envisaged that the ATGM would be equipped with a tandem cumulative warhead with armor penetration up to 1000 mm.
It was assumed that after the start of mass production, Great Britain will purchase at least 600 launchers with guidance equipment and thermal imaging night sights and 18,000 missiles. However, in 1998 the British government officially announced its withdrawal from the TRIGAT project.
The consequence of this decision was that the American FGM-148 Javelin ATGM, manufactured under license, is currently in service in the British Armed Forces. With all the advantages of the "Dart" with a launch range of up to 2500 m, the cost of one missile in 2017 was more than $ 120 thousand.
Opponents of the acquisition of the FGM-148 Javelin ATGM indicate that in the event of a collision with an enemy with numerous armored vehicles at its disposal, the limited stocks of extremely expensive Javelin missiles can be quickly used up, and the British army will actually be left without anti-tank weapons. In this regard, alternative options for the purchase of relatively inexpensive portable anti-tank complexes with a longer range of use are being considered. In this regard, the Spike-LR ATGM with a launch range of more than 5000 m, offered by the Israeli company Rafael, looks quite attractive. That seems quite probable given the experience of operation and combat use of the long-range missile system Spike-NLOS (English Non Line Of Sight - Out of sight), which in the British army has the designation Exactor Mk 1.
The Spike-NLOS guided missile system in the amount of 14 units with a total ammunition load of 700 missiles was purchased in 2007 and placed on M113 armored personnel carriers atypical for the British army. The mass of the guided missile in the TPK is about 71 kg. The launch range is up to 25 km. Depending on the mission being performed, the missile can be equipped with a cumulative, armor-piercing high-explosive or high-explosive fragmentation warhead. When attacking a target, a combined guidance system is used, with a dual-mode television and infrared seeker and control over a radio command line.
After training the personnel, Exactor Mk 1 was sent to Iraq in August 2007, where, during the battles for Basra, they successfully suppressed rebel mortar batteries and delivered surprise high-precision strikes at command posts, observation posts and firing points. Based on the experience of combat use, Israeli-made missile systems were highly appreciated. In 2009, the Exactor Mk 1 self-propelled ATGMs were transferred from Iraq by military transport aircraft to Afghanistan, where they became part of the 39th regiment of the Royal Artillery. At the same time, the British army ordered a batch of new Mk 5 missiles with a two-channel seeker. The cost of one rocket is $ 100,000.
Until 2011, the presence of Exactor Mk 1 missile systems in the British army was not officially recognized. In order to disguise secret missile systems, the M113 armored personnel carriers on which they were located, by hanging sets of additional armor and fake elements, were made up under the British tracked armored personnel carriers FV432.
In 2012, the UK ordered Rafael to develop a light towed launcher for the Spike-NLOS complex. The towed launcher received the designation Exactor Mk 2 and was officially put into service in 2013. The installation is a single-axle trailer with four missiles in the TPK and radio command guidance equipment. The operator control station can be placed at a distance of up to 500 m from the launcher. UAVs can be used as a target designation tool for the Exactor Mk 2 complex.
