LAW 80
| LAW 80 | |
|---|---|
 Unextended LAW 80 | |
| Type | Rocket-propelled grenade(anti-tank,disposable) |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1987–present |
| Used by | See§ Users |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Hunting Engineering |
| Produced | 1987–1993[1] |
| No.built | c. 113,000[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass |
|
| Length |
|
| Crew | 1 |
| Calibre | 94 mm (3.7 in) |
| Effective firing range | 20–500 m (66–1,640 ft) |
| Sights | ×1 magnificationtelescopic sight |
| Warhead | HEAT |
Detonation mechanism | Contact fuze |
| Blast yield | 600-700 rha mm |
| Propellant | HTPB |
Launch platform | Man-portable launcher |
TheLAW 80(Light Anti-armour Weapon 80), regularly referred to asLAW 94in British service, is a man-portable, disposableanti-tankweapon previously used by theBritish Armyand a few other militaries.
Description
[edit]The weapon consists of an extendable launch tube with an integrated 9 mm (0.35 in)spotting rifleand 1× sight. The spotting rifle has five rounds of ammunition, and is ballistically matched to therocket.The rounds it uses are quite unusual, consisting of a 9 mmtracerbullet loaded in a necked up7.62mm NATOshell casing,with a.22 Hornetblankmounted in the base of the larger case, providing thepropellantcharge. Upon firing, the.22 cartridge case pushes out of the back of the 7.62 mm casing, unlocking thebreechof the spotting rifle in a form ofprimer actuation.[2]
To launch the rocket the firer removes the large protective end caps and extends the rear of the launch tube, opens the sight, and moves the arming lever to "armed". The weapon is then in spotting rifle mode. To fire the rocket, the firer moves a charge lever forward with his firing hand thumb. Therocket motorburns out before it leaves the launch tube, the resulting blast being directed rearwards from the launch tube. The rocket then coasts to the target, arming itself after it has passed a certain arming distance. Thewarheadis aHEATshaped chargeand could penetrate 700 mm (28 in) ofrolled homogeneous armourat 90 degrees, as was taught to soldiers trained on the weapon system in the British Army, Royal Navy (Royal Marines) andRAF Regiment[citation needed].It was also taught that sloped, composite andreactive armour[citation needed],would reduce the penetration and would be an important factor when selecting the aiming point.
Specifications
[edit]| External images | |
|---|---|
| LAW 80 Brochure 1985 | |
 LAW 80(1) | |
| LAW 80(2) | |
| LAW 80(3) | |
| LAW 80(4) |
- Contractor:Hunting Engineering
- Calibre: 94 mm
- Launcher length:
- Firing mode: 1.5 m
- Carrying mode: 1 m
- Weight:
- Carrying weight: 10 kg
- Shoulder weight: 9 kg
- Projectile weight: 4.6 kg
- Dispersion: approx 1 mil
- Warhead arming range: 10 to 20 m
- Effective range: 20 to 500 m
- Fuze:
- Type:Piezo-electricimpact fuze,shrub and foliage proof
- Graze angle: ≤ 10°
- Temperature range: −46 °C to +65 °C
- Rear danger area: < 20 m
- Shelf life: 10 years
Operators
[edit] | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(June 2010) |
Current operators
[edit]
Past operators
[edit]
United Kingdom:Initially adopted in the early 1990s, replacing theL14A1 84 mm Carl Gustavrecoilless rifleandM72 Light Anti-Tank Weapon(Rocket 66mm HEAT L1A1), it was withdrawn on safety grounds in favour of theAT-4 CSand eventually theFGM-148 Javelinanti-tank missile andNLAW.[6]
Addermine
[edit]Addermine is an acoustic sensor system which uses the LAW 80 as a kill mechanism to create an anti-armouroff-route mine.It can also be command detonated from up to 200 m away, or 2 km via a laser optical link.[7]
Notes
[edit]- ^ab"LAW-80".WeaponSystems.net.Retrieved1 March2022.
- ^"Cartridge of the Month".cartridgecollectors.org.
- ^"Google Sites".sites.google.Archived fromthe originalon 24 November 2016.Retrieved14 September2017.
- ^Jones, Richard D.Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010.Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (27 January 2009).ISBN978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^"World Infantry Weapons: Sierra Leone".2013. Archived fromthe originalon 24 November 2016.
- ^Owen, William F. (2007)."Light Anti-Armour Weapons: Anti-Everything?"(PDF).Asian Military Review. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 July 2011.Retrieved12 May2010.
- ^Heyman, Charles (2008).The British Army: A Pocket Guide 2002-2003.Casemate Publishers. p. 128.ISBN9781783378968.
See also
[edit]- List of rocket launchers
- ARGES mine– (United Kingdom, France, Germany)
- APILAS– (France)
- Alcotán-100– (Spain)
References
[edit]- Jane's Infantry Weapons 2005-2006
- Jane's Infantry Weapons 1991-1992
External links
[edit]
- https://web.archive.org/web/20040927085242/http:// army.mod.uk/equipment/pw/pw_law.htm
- armedforces.co.uk