Post by WYATT666 on Jul 14, 2011 21:02:55 GMT
The M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon, also referred to as the Light Anti-Armor Weapon or LAW as well as LAWS Light Anti-Armor Weapons System) is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al. while with the Hesse-Eastern Division of Norris Thermadore, currently produced by Nammo Raufoss AS in Norway.
In early 1963 the LAW was adopted by the United States Army and the United States Marines as their primary individual infantry anti-tank weapon, replacing the M31 HEAT rifle grenade and the M20A1 "Super Bazooka" in the US Army.
It had been intended that in the early 1980s that the M72 would be replaced by the FGR-17 Viper, but this program was canceled by Congress and the M136 AT4 was introduced in its place. In that time period its nearest comparison was the Swedish Pskott m/68 (Miniman) and the French SARPAC.
The weapon consists of a rocket packed inside of a launcher made up of two tubes, one inside the other. While closed, the outer assembly acts as a watertight container for the rocket and the percussion cap-type firing mechanism that activates the rocket. The outer tube contains the trigger, the arming handle, front and rear sights, and the rear cover. The inner tube contains the channel assembly which houses the firing pin assembly, including the detent lever. When extended, the inner tube telescopes outward toward the rear, guided by the channel assembly which rides in an alignment slot in the outer tube's trigger housing assembly. This causes the detent lever to move under the trigger assembly in the outer tube, both locking the inner tube in the extended position and cocking the weapon. Once armed, the weapon is no longer watertight even if the launcher is collapsed into its original configuration.
When fired, the striker in the rear tube impacts a primer which ignites a small amount of powder that "flashes" down a tube to the rear of the rocket igniting the propellant in the rocket motor, The rocket motor burns complete before leaving the mouth of the launcher, producing gases around 1,400 °F (760 °C). The rocket propels the 66 mm warhead forward without significant recoil. As the warhead emerges from the launcher, six fins spring out from the base of the rocket tube, stabilizing the warhead's flight. The early LAW warhead, developed from the M31 HEAT rifle grenade warhead, uses a simple, but extremely safe and reliable piezoelectric fuze system, which on impact with the target a certain type of crystal in the front nose section is crushed causing a micro-second electric current to be generated which detonates the warhead. The fuse then detonates a booster charge located in the base of the warhead which sets off the main warhead charge. The force of the main charge forces the copper liner into a directional particle jet that in relation to the size of the warhead is capable of massive amount of penetration. A unique mechanical set-back safety on the base of the detonator grounds the circuit till the missile is accelerated from the tube. The accelerations causes each of the three disks in the set back to rotate 90 degrees in succession, ungrounding the circuit and completing a circuit from the nose to the base of the detonator when the piezo-electric crystal is crushed on impact.
British serviceThe British Army used the Norwegian-built version of the M72 under the designation "Rocket 66mm HEAT L1A1" which was replaced by LAW 80. The M72 rocket has been reintroduced into British service under the Urgent Operational Requirement program, with the M72A9 variant beingdesignated the Light Anti-Structures Missile (LASM).
When on foot, an SAS patrol needs a lightweight rocket launcher in order to deal with armoured threats such as APCs. The LAW 66mm is a one-shot disposable rocket launcher that is highly effective against soft skinned vehicles and light armour, up to a range of 200 meters. LAW 66s can also be used to clear bunkers or buildings. The 66mm rocket is ineffective against a main battle tank, although in skilled hands one could be used to disable a MBT's tracks.
Weighing just 2.5kg and with a carry length of 0.67 meters, the LAW is designed to be carried slung over the shoulder. The launcher extends to just under 1 meter when ready to fire.
The infamous Gulf War I SAS foot patrol, Bravo Two Zero, carried LAWs and reportedly engaged Iraqi APCs and trucks with them. SAS, SBS, Royal Marines & Paras used LAWS to clear Argentine fixed positions during the 1982 Falklands War.
In early 1963 the LAW was adopted by the United States Army and the United States Marines as their primary individual infantry anti-tank weapon, replacing the M31 HEAT rifle grenade and the M20A1 "Super Bazooka" in the US Army.
It had been intended that in the early 1980s that the M72 would be replaced by the FGR-17 Viper, but this program was canceled by Congress and the M136 AT4 was introduced in its place. In that time period its nearest comparison was the Swedish Pskott m/68 (Miniman) and the French SARPAC.
The weapon consists of a rocket packed inside of a launcher made up of two tubes, one inside the other. While closed, the outer assembly acts as a watertight container for the rocket and the percussion cap-type firing mechanism that activates the rocket. The outer tube contains the trigger, the arming handle, front and rear sights, and the rear cover. The inner tube contains the channel assembly which houses the firing pin assembly, including the detent lever. When extended, the inner tube telescopes outward toward the rear, guided by the channel assembly which rides in an alignment slot in the outer tube's trigger housing assembly. This causes the detent lever to move under the trigger assembly in the outer tube, both locking the inner tube in the extended position and cocking the weapon. Once armed, the weapon is no longer watertight even if the launcher is collapsed into its original configuration.
When fired, the striker in the rear tube impacts a primer which ignites a small amount of powder that "flashes" down a tube to the rear of the rocket igniting the propellant in the rocket motor, The rocket motor burns complete before leaving the mouth of the launcher, producing gases around 1,400 °F (760 °C). The rocket propels the 66 mm warhead forward without significant recoil. As the warhead emerges from the launcher, six fins spring out from the base of the rocket tube, stabilizing the warhead's flight. The early LAW warhead, developed from the M31 HEAT rifle grenade warhead, uses a simple, but extremely safe and reliable piezoelectric fuze system, which on impact with the target a certain type of crystal in the front nose section is crushed causing a micro-second electric current to be generated which detonates the warhead. The fuse then detonates a booster charge located in the base of the warhead which sets off the main warhead charge. The force of the main charge forces the copper liner into a directional particle jet that in relation to the size of the warhead is capable of massive amount of penetration. A unique mechanical set-back safety on the base of the detonator grounds the circuit till the missile is accelerated from the tube. The accelerations causes each of the three disks in the set back to rotate 90 degrees in succession, ungrounding the circuit and completing a circuit from the nose to the base of the detonator when the piezo-electric crystal is crushed on impact.
British serviceThe British Army used the Norwegian-built version of the M72 under the designation "Rocket 66mm HEAT L1A1" which was replaced by LAW 80. The M72 rocket has been reintroduced into British service under the Urgent Operational Requirement program, with the M72A9 variant beingdesignated the Light Anti-Structures Missile (LASM).
When on foot, an SAS patrol needs a lightweight rocket launcher in order to deal with armoured threats such as APCs. The LAW 66mm is a one-shot disposable rocket launcher that is highly effective against soft skinned vehicles and light armour, up to a range of 200 meters. LAW 66s can also be used to clear bunkers or buildings. The 66mm rocket is ineffective against a main battle tank, although in skilled hands one could be used to disable a MBT's tracks.
Weighing just 2.5kg and with a carry length of 0.67 meters, the LAW is designed to be carried slung over the shoulder. The launcher extends to just under 1 meter when ready to fire.
The infamous Gulf War I SAS foot patrol, Bravo Two Zero, carried LAWs and reportedly engaged Iraqi APCs and trucks with them. SAS, SBS, Royal Marines & Paras used LAWS to clear Argentine fixed positions during the 1982 Falklands War.