The law gets tougher: the shoulder-launched light anti-armour weapon (law) has evolved to become a multipurpose assault weapon much in demand for asymmetric warfare.

The Talley Defense Systems 66 mm M72 is the archetypical light anti-armour weapon. It was developed in the early 1960s to provide the US Army with a light anti-tank weapon that could be carried by every infantryman. It was the first design to incorporate a pair of telescoping tubes housing a pre-packaged, high-explosive anti-tank rocket; when the tubes are extended a simple sight pops out. In South Vietnam US soldiers and marines used the new weapon against enemy forces behind termite hills and in log bunkers. In the 1980s when the US Army decided a bigger warhead was necessary to defeat Soviet tanks the M72 was replaced by the Saab Bofors Dynamics 84 mm AT4 (produced in America as the M136). Improved effectiveness against armour came at a cost, as the 7.5-kg M136 is three times heavier than the weapon it replaced. Since the start of the war on terrorism new generation M72s have returned to US service to meet the need for an easy-to-carry light assault weapon that can be used against bunkers, caves and buildings.

A $ Five Billion Market

In its December 2005 annual analysis of The World Market for Man-Portable Anti-Armor and Bunker Buster Weapons, Forecast International estimated that nearly 1.9 million weapons, worth $ 5.33 billion, will be produced globally through 2014. It predicts << the combined output of Russian defense contractors will account for over 68% of man-portable anti-armor and bunker-buster weapon production, worth over 51% of the total market value, through 2014 >>. Production of the Russian RPG-26 Aglen and RPG-27 Tavolga, both disposable designs, << will account for over 54% of all new production, worth over 31% of the total market value >>. The ubiquitous RPG-7 launcher, the follow-on RPG-16 and the various licensed and unlicensed copies will account for nearly eight percent of all new production with production in Iran representing 4.25%. The << leading European players >> will provide only 13.96% of weapons but << these high-end European products will account for over 33% of the total market value,. Sales by Talley Defense will account for 5.14% of production and 5.26% of sales.

The RPG-7/RPG-16 and RPG-26/ RPG-27 are representative of the two broad categories of weapons: those with reusable launchers such as the RPG-7, the Saab Bofors Dynamics 84 mm Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle and the Dynamit Nobel Panzerfaust 3, and 'disposable' weapons such as the RPG-26, the M72 and the Giat Wasp. During the Cold War, when both Nato and the Warsaw Pact prepared for large-scale armoured battles, light anti-tank weapons were widely deployed. However, as tank armour improved, this category of weapon became more widely described as << anti-armour >> rather than 'anti-tank', to reflect its limitations. Man-portable missiles such at the MBDA wire-guided Eryx, the Raytheon/Lockheed Martin fire-and-forget Javelin and the Rafael fire-and-forget Gill/Spike are now the primary short range defence against modern tanks. As the weight distinction blurred it became more usual to classify anti-armour weapons by range with all 'lightweights' coming within the short-range (up to 1000 metres) category.

High-end from Europe

The venerable Carl Gustaf, which first appeared in 1946, was given a lease on life when it was fielded with the US Army's 75th Ranger Regiment as the Multi-Role Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System (Maaws) in 1990 and with the US Navy's Sea, Air, Land (Seal) special forces units in 1997. Weighing ten kg and measuring 1.65 metres in length, the Carl Gustaf M3 is a lightweight version of the earlier M2 steel weapon that was acquired by Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Britain and numerous other countries. A complete family of ammunition is available, including the HE 441, Heat 551, Heat 751, HEDP 502, Smoke 469 and Illuminating 545 rounds. The ADM 401 anti-personnel round was developed by Saab Bofors Dynamics at the request of the US Rangers, and US Special Operations Command (Ussocom) continues to fund the development of new ammunition.

AT4 & Nlaw

Using the Carl Gustaf 84 mm Heat round as the starting point in the 1980s, the Swedish company developed the disposable AT4 84 mm that was adopted by the US Department of Defense as the M136 to replace the M72. With a range of more than 300 metres, the 7.5 kg AT4 can penetrate more than 300 mm of RHA with a behind-armour effect. More than 600,000 AT4s have been produced, including 300,000 M136s built under license in America by Alliant Techsystems (ATK). The more recent AT4CS was designed to be fired from confined spaces. Both the French and Danish armies have acquired the high-penetration AT4CS HE which can punch through more than 500 mm of RHA. Britain and the United States have bought small quantities of AT4 CS HP weapons for urgent operational needs. An AT4CS Heat RS (for reduced sensitivity) has also been developed at the request of the Ussocom.

Later this year Saab's new Nlaw (N for next generation) will enter British Army service. Its selection by Britain in May 2002 is worth 400 million [pounds sterling] to the Saab-Thales team, and on 22 December 2005 the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) placed an order for the weapon, which will be designated the Robot 57 in Swedish service. Combining technology from the AT4CS and Saab's Bill anti-tank guided missile the Nlaw uses over-flying top-attack technology to destroy tanks with its 115 mm, Ruag-made, single downward-firing shaped-charge warhead. It can also be used in the direct-attack mode against bunkers and buildings. The 11.6-kg disposable weapon has an effective combat range of between 20 and 600 metres.

Apilas & Wasp

Giat markets two systems, the Apilas and the Wasp, developed for the French Army. The Apilas is a 9.5-kg disposable weapon that launches a 112 mm Heat warhead which is capable of penetrating more than 720 mm of rolled homogeneous armour or two metres of reinforced concrete. More than 120,000 weapons have been sold to five European armies, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan and other undisclosed customers.

The Wasp is marketed as a light assault weapon that can be fired from confined spaces to defeat targets out to a range of about 400 metres. It weighs three kilos and is 80cm in length. The Wasp's 58 mm hollow-charge warhead is capable of penetrating up to 300 mm of RHA or 800 mm of reinforced concrete. More than 450,000 Wasps have been built including units produced under license by Hellenic Arms Industry for the Greek Army.

Pzf & Matador 

Dynamit Nobel Defence is continuing to exploit the growth potential inherent in the modular Panzerfaust 3 (Pzf 3) system developed for the German Army in the 1980s. More than 250,000 munitions have been produced for the German and Swiss armies and several export customers. The Pzf 3 comprises a 2.3-kg reusable firing device with an optical sight and a family of ammunition. The recoilless counter-mass design allows the rocket to be launched from confined enclosures. With a unitary 110-mm Heat warhead ready to fire the weapon weighs 12.9 kg and is 1.35 metres long. An extendable warhead spike detonates the shaped charge at the optimal standoff distance enabling it to penetrate more than 800 mm of armour. When retracted the warhead acts like a Hesh round thus causing significantly more damage to walls. It has an effective range of 400 metres against stationary targets and 300 for moving ones. The Pzf 3-T, which has been in German service since 1998, is now in production for the Italian Esercito. It uses a 100-gram precursor charge fitted to the warhead spike to clear explosive reactive armour, enabling the main charge to penetrate up to 700 mm of rolled armour. The Pzf 3-IT uses an improved tandem warhead to penetrate more than 800 mm behind reactive armour. To defeat targets out to 600 metres the Dynarange firing device was developed for all Pzf 3 versions, including the Bunkerfaust. It incorporates an optical sight, and a Simrad IS2000 laser rangefinder and a Dynamit Nobel Defence rate sensor to calculate the best aiming point for stationary and moving targets. A Simrad KN252 series night sight can be added. The Bunkerfaust (Bkf) munition, in service since 1999, is optimised to defeat targets behind walls. The Netherlands placed a 40 million [euro]-plus contract in late 2004 for 450 Dynaranges, 2000 Pzf 3-IT600 munitions, 930 Pzf 3 firing devices, 3000 Pzf 3 and 1500 Bkf live and practise munitions.

Since 2000 Singapore's Defence Science & Technology Agency has worked with Dynamit Nobel to develop the 90 mm Matador. The weapon is marketed by Dynamit as the Pzf 90. Designed for use in urban operations the 9.8-kg weapon's multipurpose warhead is effective against both fortifications and light armoured vehicles to a maximum range of 500 metres. In the delay mode the warhead punches a hole larger than 450 mm diameter in a triple-brick wall. The weapon is also offered with a wall-breaching warhead, named Pzf WBS. The Singapore Armed Forces have begun fielding the Matador to replace the MBB-designed 67 mm Armbrust.

At only 5.8 kg Dynamit Nobel's lightest weapon is the disposable 60 mm RGW 60 that was unveiled as a prototype in 1999. Essentially a scaled-down Pzf 90 the RGW can also be used from confined spaces. The RGW 60 is available with three warheads: a shaped-charge that can penetrate over 300 mm of rolled armour, a multi-purpose Heat warhead that has 270 preformed fragments and can penetrate over 100 mm; and, a high explosive squash head (Hesh) designed to punch a 400 mm hole in masonry. Both the RGW 60 and the Pzf 90 use the same firing device and have a Picatinny rail for fitting a night sight. All three RGW 60 warheads are in volume production for the German Army and Federal Police.

C-90 & Alcotan

Instalaza has developed several weapons for the Spanish Army. The disposable 90 mm C90 (M3 series) is used to engage moving targets at ranges of up to 300 metres and static targets at 400 metres. The C90-CR (M3) warhead will defeat 400 mm of armour and one metre of concrete while the C90-CR-RB (M3) will defeat 480 mm and 1.2 metres respectively. The C90-CR-AM (M3) is designed for both the anti-armour and anti-personnel role, while the C90-CR-Fim (M3) is filled with a smoke/incendiary material. For use in the bunker-busting role the C90-CR-BK (M3) has a tandem warhead. All of the weapons measure 943 mm in length and weigh 4.7 kg, except the bunker buster, which weighs 5.3 kg. About 250,000 examples of the C90 (M3 series) have been sold to 15 customers.

To engage targets out to 600 metres the Spanish Army uses the Alcotan-100, which uses the five-kilo Vosel fire control unit fastened to a disposable ten-kg ammunition container/launch tube. Three types of rockets are available: the tandem warhead Alcotan AT to defeat reactive armour, a shaped charge Alcotan BIV with fragmenting sleeve to engage light armoured vehicles or personnel and the tandem Alcotan ABK warhead optimised to penetrate the wall of a bunker and then detonate a follow-through charge with some 2500 fragments.

B-300 & Shipon

The Israel Military Industries B-300 consists of a reusable launcher and a family of 82 mm rockets. There are three operational rounds available: the Mk 1 Heat round able to penetrate more than 400 mm of rolled armour, the Mk 2 Heat round able to penetrate about 550 mm and the High-Explosive Follow-Through (Heft). Designed for use against troops inside buildings, behind reinforced concrete, brick or stone walls the Heft round's primary charge blasts a hole in the wall allowing the secondary charge to pass through and explode. With a Mk 1 Heat round ready to fire the B-300 weighs eight kg and measures 1.35 mm. The weapon is in service with the Israel Defence Force and has been exported to Chile, El Salvador and Mexico.

IMI used the B-300 soft-launch propulsion system, which enables operations from enclosed spaces, to develop the Shipon. This consists of a 96 mm rocket in a disposable launch tube and a reusable fire control system developed by EI-Op. The fire control system includes a laser rangefinder and a target movement tracker to calculate the best point of aim. IMI states that the Heat warhead can penetrate up to 800 mm of rolled armour at a range of 550 to 600 metres. Also under development is a Shipon 2 with a maximum range of 1000 metres.

M72

Although the AT4/M136 replaced the M72 in the 1980s in US service, Talley Defense Systems continued M72 development and production to meet the needs of overseas customers. The A4, A5 and A6 Improved Laws and the newer A7 model are the only M72 variants now in production.

Talley is working on a next-generation family that will consist of three models: the M72E8, which combines the M72A7 warhead with a confined space propulsion system, the M72E9, a high-penetration weapon intended to be used against modern armoured vehicles and the M72E10, which has a blast/fragmentation warhead for use against personnel.

Norway's Nammo Raufoss produces the M72 under license for international customers and has also been active in improving the weapon. Its most recent contracts covered the sale of the M72A6 to Australia and New Zealand. Nammo is developing the M72 EC (Enhanced Capacity) and the M72 ASM RC (Anti-Structure Munition Reduced Calibre). The EC, which is scheduled to be qualified in April 2006, offers an improved launcher and warhead, and a new dual safety fuse. The M72 ASM RC uses the same launcher and rocket motor as the EC. The soldier can select either the 'superquick' mode to make a large hole in a double brick wall or the << delay >> mode for the warhead to penetrate the wall and explode inside

Smaw

The General Dynamics Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (Smaw) in service with the US Marine Corps is another weapon that has proven its worth. Based on IMI's B-300 the Smaw consists of a reusable launcher, which incorporates a 9 mm spotting rifle and x3.8 sight, and 83 mm High-Explosive Anti-Armour (HEAA) and High-Explosive Dual-Purpose (HEDP) rockets packaged in their launch tubes. The launcher weighs 7.5 kg, HEAA rockets 6.4 kg and HEDP rockets 5.95 kg. More that 190,000 rockets have been produced. Since December 1999 the US Marine Corps has ordered 26,600 HEDP rockets from Talley worth more than $ 43 million.

In response to an urgent Marine Corps request in 2002 the Naval Surface Warfare Center, the Marine Corps Systems Command and Talley developed and fielded the Smaw--Novel Explosive (NE). The new warhead penetrates brick targets to deliver thermobaric explosives. Only nine months after development began the first 400 rockets were deployed in Iraq in March 2003.

The Corps is evaluating two contenders for its Follow-On To Smaw programme. The team of General Dynamics, Dynamit Nobel and Rafael are offering a weapon based on the Panzerfaust 3 while Lockheed Martin is teamed with IMI to offer a design based on Israeli company's Shipon. At the conclusion of the System Integration Phase one of the contenders will be selected for the System Demonstration and Production phase which has an estimated value of $ 360 million over the 20-year life of the programme. The stated requirement is for approximately 1052 launchers and/or 143,000 rounds of ammunition.

Talley used the HEDP rocket to develop the XM141 disposable Smaw, known as the Smaw-D, to meet a US Army need for a Bunker Defeat Munition. It weighs 7.26 kg in an 813-mm-long launch tube. According to the army the weapon is fully operational at eleven metres making it optimum for operations in urban terrain. It has been used to attack bunkers and caves in Afghanistan and Iraq. Talley has received orders worth $13.7 million to deliver more than 1800 units.

The service is planning to acquire an Urban Assault Weapon to replace the M72A3, M136 and XM141. This is intended to be a disposable, shoulder-fired weapon that can be used from enclosed spaces to defeat light armoured vehicles and personnel within bunkers or behind masonry and brick walls. The new weapon will use the service's existing and future night sights and will not require a dedicated gunner.

On 6 February 2006 the British Ministry of Defence announced that it had selected a bid from Dynamit Nobel, based on the Pzf 90, to meet the British Army requirement for a one-man anti-structure munition weighing less than ten kilos that can be fired from within a confined space to an effective range of at least 200 metres. Saab Bofors Dynamics proposed the AT4CS Anti-Structure Tandem weapon. Aware of public sensitivity to the use of thermobaric weapons the Defence Procurement Agency stressed throughout the competition that they were seeking a weapon fitted with an enhanced blast warhead not a thermobaric warhead. Under the terms of the 40 million [pounds sterling] contract the weapon will enter service by the end of 2009.