The new gate crashers.

Giving infantry units the capability to react against armour naturally led to the development of man-portable anti-armour weapons. However, with the continuous improvements of both passive and add-on reactive armour, further developments, particularly in the warhead department, soon became in order. In addition, and while the end of the Cold War subdued the true anti-tank role, the notable surge of urban warfare operations came with new challenges for the defence industry to increase the flexibility of those weapon systems.

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Man-portable anti-armour weapons can be split into two categories, namely those that employ a reusable tube and sight (such as the RPG-7 of Soviet origin) and those that are fully expendable (like the American M72). The pros and cons of each solution are obvious: reusable systems allow multiple firings and the use of different kinds of ammunition, but their launch tubes are often heavier; expendable systems can be distributed to various members in the fighting team to provide multiple firing sources, their launch tubes are normally made of lightweight composite materials, but to be flexible a soldier must carry more than one type of complete launcher. Most modern systems can be fired from enclosed spaces and their aiming sights can be provided with imaging intensification devices for night firing.

Reusable Systems

The better-known weapon in this category is the RPG-7 currently manufactured by Bazalt in Russia. The launch tube features a widening nozzle at the rear and is equipped with rangefinding optical sights. The fin-stabilised rocket-propelled grenade is muzzle-loaded, its warhead having a larger diameter than the 40 mm calibre of the tube. The model currently under production is the RPG-7V1, which weighs 6.3 kg and is 950 mm long sans rocket, but the special split-barrel of the RPG-7D version for airborne troops is only 630 mm long in transport configuration. The RPG-7 can use various types of grenades that have a typical range of around 200 metres. Besides the four types manufactured in Russia, namely the PG-7VL, the PG-7VR for anti-tank/anti-armour use with a tandem warhead effective against explosive reactive armour, the TBG-7V and the OG-7V (mostly for anti-personnel use), there is also the PG-7M 110 Heat grenade manufactured by Technopol in the Slovak Republic.

The RPG-7 is also manufactured under license in numerous countries such as Bulgaria, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq (under the name Al-Nassira), Pakistan, Poland, Romania (a modified version under the name AG-7S), the Slovak Republic and Thailand, while in China the copy of the RPG-7 is named Type 69 (although the very latest model on offer from Norinco is designated Type 4000). In the late 1980s Bazalt developed a new tandem warhead round, the PG-29V and its associated launcher, the RPG-29. Much larger and heavier than the RPG-7V1--the launcher weighs 11.5 kg and is over 1800 mm long in firing configuration (1000 mm long in carrying position as the tube can be split in two)--it has an effective range of 500 metres and its warhead can defeat 750 mm of armour protected with reactive armour, 1500 mm of concrete and 3700 mm of earth-and-log. RPG-29s originally sold to Syria have appeared in Iraq where they proved to be one of the most serious threats to US Army tanks.

In the West the most widely diffused reusable anti-tank grenade launcher is the Saab Bofors Dynamics Carl-Gustaf (known as Multi-Role Anti-armour, Anti-personnel Weapon System--or Maaws by the US Socom). Improved in recent years to reduce its weight (still a hefty ten kg), the M3 version comes with a full range of ammunition available to serve several purposes such as destroying armour, cutting holes in a wall or generating smoke screens. Ammunition is breach loaded and fin stabilised. The barrel is made of a thin steel liner with external glass fibre coating and carbon fibre laminate at each end. The Carl-Gustaf is 1.065-metres long and is equipped with a mount and a carrying handle, a pistol grip with trigger, a forward grip and a x3 telescopic sight on the left side. Compared to the RPG-7, its range in the antitank role is much greater thanks to Heat (High Explosive Anti-Tank) 751 and Heat 551 rocket propelled rounds that can still punch harm at over 600 metres. The '571 has a tandem warhead and a penetration capability of over 500 mm in rolled homogeneous armour behind explosive reactive armour. Other conventionally propelled rounds provide urban warfare capabilities (HEDP 502), soft target capabilities (HE 441D, HE with 800 steel pellets), illumination (Ilium 545C) and smoke (Smoke 469C).

In the late 1980s Israel Military Industries developed the B300--an 83 mm, manportable rocket launcher designed as a dual-purpose system for anti-tank and anti-fortification tasks. Two round types were available--an anti-armour shaped-charge Heat and an anti-bunker HEDP. Their effective range was about 250 metres with a maximum range of 500. The B300 entered service in small numbers in Israel but was then modified and adopted in 1984 by the US Marine Corps as the Mk 153 Smaw and is still in service. Manufactured under license in America by Talley Defense Systems, its launcher is 760 mm long and weighs 7.54 kg. Rocket pods, containing the ammunition with a solid rocket motor, are attached at the back of the launcher. Ready to fire the weapon weighs 13.5 kg and is 1370 mm long. In the late 1990s Talley developed two new rounds: the Follow Through Grenade which has a shaped-charge precursor for use against concrete and brick walls, while the new HEDP round, which can be used in confined spaces for urban warfare, exploits the counter-mass principle. Finally a thermobaric round, Smaw-NE (Shoulder-launched Multi-purpose Assault Weapon/ Novel Explosive) for urban warfare was fielded in Iraq in 2003.

Disposable Launchers

In the West the most widely used light anti-tank weapon was the disposable M72 Law. An improved version is being produced by Talley Defense Systems in the United States and Nammo in Europe. The M72 consists of a lightweight, telescoping, single shot, throwaway tube made of aluminium and fibreglass, with a mechanical sight and a firing mechanism. The 66 mm calibre rocket-propelled grenade is fin stabilised and features a shaped-charge warhead. The system is armed by pulling back the rear section, which extends the tube from its 775 mm stowed length to its full 980 mm firing length. Current versions, which weigh 3.45 kg, are the M72A4, A5 and A6, all using single shaped-charge warheads. The M72A4 has a 350 mm penetration with limited behind-armour effect, the M72A5 has a 330 mm typical penetration with considerable behind-armour effects and the M72A6 has a reduced penetration--only 150 mm--but extended behind-armour effect. Talley also developed thermobaric warheads: the M72NE has a high performance enhanced blast effect and a fuse allowing a delayed action on light walls as well as impact detonation, while the M72HH provides long duration heat effects with temperatures in excess of 150[degrees]C for over six seconds to enable the heat wave to spread round corners and into multiple rooms.

Talley recently developed a disposable version of the Smaw dubbed the Smaw-D (or M141 Bunker Defeat Munition by the US military); based on the HEDP dual-purpose round, it has a carry weight of 7.26 kg and is 813 mm long. A confined space version known as the Smaw-D(CS) is also being developed.

Another disposable weapon in the United States inventory but of foreign origin is the AT4 (M136). Originally developed by FFV Ordnance (now Saab Bofors Dynamics), it is manufactured under license by Alliant Techsystems (ATK). Based on an 84 mm shaped-charge round derived from that of the Carl-Gustaf, it is able to penetrate over 420 mm of armour at a range of more than 300 metres. The launcher is 1000 mm long and weighs 6.7 kg. Replacing the round with a slightly modified version of the Carl-Gustaf HEDP 502 dual-purpose round, Saab Bofors Dynamics gave birth to the multi-purpose Lmaw AT4 in order to obtain better effects against buildings, walls and soft targets, using a delayed function fuse, while in the impact mode it can be used against armoured vehicles with penetration capacity of over 150 mm. The Lmaw weighs eight kg. ATK for its part developed the AT8, which combines the Smaw HEDP warhead with the AT4 tube and propulsion unit. Finally, in the late 1990s Saab Bofors Dynamics developed the AT4-CS, which can be fired from confined spaces. It has since been fielded in Denmark, France and other countries. It weighs 7.5 kg, is 1.04-metres long and its Heat round can penetrate over 500 mm of armour. The liquid counter-mass allows it to be fired from a 3 x 3 x 2.5-metre enclosure from a distance of only one metre from a solid obstacle.

Instalaza in Spain produces the C90-CR (M3), a 90 mm calibre weapon firing a rocket-propelled, fin-stabilised grenade from a composite material launch tube. Aiming is carried out through a x1.8 optical sight, but a VN38 night vision device has also been developed for the weapon. The C90-CR (M3) is provided with five different warheads for use against different targets, tanks, armoured vehicles, bunkers and personnel, although its back blast does not allow the user to fire it from enclosed spaces.

Instalaza also manufactures the Alcotan 100. Consisting of a round sealed in its launch tube, it is 1.15-metres long for a weight of 9.5 kg and mounts a reusable fire control unit weighing 4.5 kg. A remarkable device, this fire control unit clips onto the ammunition and provides optimum sighting up to the maximum effective range of 600 metres. The device has a x3.5 magnification and is equipped with a laser rangefinder. Three types of ammunition are provided: a tandem warhead able to defeat explosive reactive armour, an anti-tank, anti-personnel round with an armour penetration of 250 mm and a 14-metre effective radius against personnel and, lastly, an anti-bunker munition capable of penetrating 300 mm of reinforced concrete and 1000 mm of sand bags. The Alcotan 100 has a low recoil and a minimised signature and can therefore be fired from enclosed spaces.

The Dynamit Nobel Panzerfaust 3 is one of the most effective systems that can be fired from confined space, since it features a counter-mass recoil absorption system. Based on a snap-on reusable firing unit and a tube containing the ammunition, its warhead calibre (110 mm) is bigger than that of the tube itself (60 mm). To meet the challenge from multiplying target types the Panzerfaust 3 has evolved into a family. While the standard firing device with a x2.5 optical sight ensures efficiency up to 400 metres, an improved computerised sight known as the Dynarange allows to hit a moving target at a range of up to 600 metres. Single shaped-charge (Pzf 3), double shaped-charge (Pzf 3-T) and improved double-shaped charge (Pzf 3-IT) anti-tank ammunition is available offering perforation performances of over 800 mm. over 800 mm plus explosive reactive armour and over 900 mm plus explosive reactive armour respectively. The soldier can choose the option of not extending the stand-off probe in front of the warhead in order to obtain an HE munition, however, a specific anti-bunker ammunition based on a precursor shaped-charge and a follow-through grenade has also been developed, and when used in conjunction with the standard firing device it forms the Bunkerfaust.

Building on experience garnered with the Panzerfaust 3, Dynamit Nobel has developed three lighter weapons. The Panzerfaust 3LWD (Low Weight Disposable), with a 90 mm calibre single shaped-charge warhead, has a range of 400 metres and uses the Pzf 3 lightweight firing device, although it is also available with a Hesh warhead. The Pzf 90 has a 500-metre range and its ammunition is fully contained within the launch tube. The RGW 60 (Recoilless Grenade Weapon) has a weight of only 5.30 kg and is 850 mm long. It fires a 1.2-kg, 60 mm projectile to a range of 200 metres. Developed for special operation forces (military and police), it is provided with four different warheads: high-explosive armour piercing, hemi-spherical shaped-charge multipurpose, Hesh (High-Explosive Squash Head) munition for opening breaches in brick and masonry structures and a rubber war-head to open doors without using explosive charges. One of the latest Pzf 3 clients is the Netherlands.

In the late 1990s Ruag developed the Mep warhead for the Panzerfaust 3. This modular explosive penetrator entirely replaces the standard shaped charge. The Mep is a 40 mm, heavy steel, slow-flying penetrator with a special surface treatment. It weighs two kilos of which 150 grams consist of explosive. Developed on the basis of simulated studies of concrete behaviour under stress and pressure by architects, the 'slug' is very carefully shaped to enable it to penetrate 250 mm of double reinforced concrete and only explode on the other side of the wall by virtue of a dynamic fuze. Such an extraordinary performance is hard to believe, but was witnessed by both authors. The Mep also defeats 12.5 mm of rolled armour, 50 mm of aluminium, 500 mm brick walls and 1.20 metres of sandbags. Ruag has also developed versions for the AT4 and the RPG 7 mentioned above. One of the clear advantages of the Mep is its ability to cleanly penetrate walls without causing a major explosion on the firer's side of the operation.

For specific wall breaching operations, Rafael has developed the Wall Buster. Particularly suited for urban warfare it fires a Davis principle backblast-less, fin stabilised rocket equipped with an insensitive explosively formed ring warhead that is able to blow a man-sized gap in a triple-layer brick wall. The expendable system can be safely fired to a distance of only 15 metres and is still effective at 50.

To succeed the B300, Israel Military Industries has developed the Shipon--a 100 mm calibre weapon with a range of 550 to 600 metres. While it borrows its propulsion system from the Smaw, it comes with a choice of two rounds: antitank/anti-fortification with tandem warhead capable of penetrating up to 800 mm armour and anti-fortification/anti-personnel designed to explode inside a building. A reusable automatic advanced fire control system equipped with a laser rangefinder and various sensors provides best accuracy for shooting against moving targets. The Shipon is 1050 mm long and weighs nine kilos. However, since it was not usable from enclosed spaces, IMI developed the Shipon-UT in two versions: one offering a 600-metre range with an anti-armour warhead, and the other that speeds a multiple-purpose warhead out to a range of 300 metres. Ready-to-fire nominal weights are respectively 11.5 and 9 kilos. It has a gas-tight modified Davis system (whereby the gas remains sealed in the launch tube) for use in confined areas.

In the former USSR, national arsenals have developed the RPG-18, which is essentially a copy of the American M72. It was followed by an improved version known as the RPG-22N and a further evolved derivative of the latter known as the RPG-26. It is produced by Bazalt, which further refined the art with a much more effective variant, the RPG-27, equipped with the PG-29V tandem warhead. The RPG-27 armed with thermobaric ammunition is known as RShG-1; it has a small precursor warhead that enables it to penetrate buildings before the main 2.3-kg thermobaric warhead is allowed to explode. None of them can be used from confined spaces. The Czech Zeveta Group is marketing the RPG-75, a light (3.2 kg) telescopic launcher armed with a 68mm Heat round capable of defeating over 300 mm of armour at a maximum range of 300 metres.

Rockets or Missile Launchers?

In their quest for flexibility many armies also want increased anti-tank performances for the single infantryman and are thus considering new weapons that mark a quantum leap over former systems. While remaining man-portable and fire-and-forget, these new systems use overfly top-attack techniques hitherto only the exclusive privilege of certain guided anti-tank missiles. The Lockheed Martin Predator, for instance, was developed to meet the US Marine Corps' Short Range Assault Weapon requirement. It is a disposable weapon built around a modular concept that allows different versions to be developed for various targets. The 890-mm-long tube contains the missile, which can be launched from enclosed spaces. The weapon has a weight of 9.7 kg and a range of 600 metres. Guided to the target by an inertial system, the anti-armour Predator is equipped with a shaped-charge warhead that is directed vertically towards the ground. The firing mechanism consists of a magnetic sensor that, upon detecting the over-flown target, activates a forward-mounted optical sensor that defines the tank's leading and trailing edges before accurately triggering the warhead above the turret. First deliveries took place in fall 2003, while an anti-bunker version is scheduled to be developed for 2005.

In Europe the British Army chose the Saab Bofors Dynamics MBT Law as its next-generation light anti-tank weapon. This is again a target over-flight weapon with a 600-metre range. The gunner activates the system and tracks the target for two or three seconds before launch to allow the missile to memorise its flight path. Once the munition is unleashed, the round's computer flies the round above the target whereupon a sensor detonates the downward firing shaped charge, which, incidentally, is directly borrowed from the Bill 2 missile. This system can be disconnected in order to use the Law in a direct-attack mode against soft vehicles or bunkers. The MBT Law weighs 11.6 kg. The warhead, developed and manufactured by Ruag, is of the dynamically compensated type. Requiring a very specific manufacturing process, it enables the warhead to punch a single round hole into the armour in spite of the fact that it still travels horizontally. Without this particular design the warhead would tend to cut a 'keyhole' and thus waste its penetration capability.

Being disposable, fire-and-forget and man-portable weapons, such as these two examples, will be used in place of and in the same way as current rocket launchers, and in the coming years will bridge the gap between light individual systems and heavier and more expensive missiles. One may argue the fact that they are, or are not, guided. Stricto sensu, they are not since they merely follow a pre-programmed path. Should the tank stop dead in its tracks or take a sudden turn shortly after launch, the round will be lost.