This article is about the unguided anti-tank weapon. For the Russian guided anti-tank missile, see AT-4 Spigot. | AT4 |
Firing an AT-4 produces a large back blast, a significant problem when operating the weapon in urban environments. | | Type | Anti-tank | | Place of origin | Sweden | | Production history | | Manufacturer | Saab Bofors Dynamics | | Unit cost | US$1,480.64 [1] | | Variants | AT-4 CS | | Specifications | | Weight | 6.7 kg | | Length | 1016 mm |
| | Caliber | 84 mm | | Muzzle velocity | 285 m/s | | Sights | Iron sights, night vision | The AT4 (or AT-4) is a portable one-shot anti-tank weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics (previously Bofors Anti Armour Systems). In the U.S. and NATO inventory it replaces the M72 LAW (Light Anti-armor Weapon). Saab has had considerable sales success with the AT4, making it one of the most common light anti-tank weapons in the world. It is intended to give infantry units a means to destroy or disable armored vehicles and fortifications they may encounter (though it is not generally sufficient to defeat a modern main battle tank). The launcher and projectile are manufactured, pre-packed, and issued as a single unit of ammunition (rather than a weapon system), with the launcher discarded after use. AT-4 Spigot team. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1360, 220 KB) Marine Lance Cpl. ...
Saab Bofors Dynamics, located in Karlskoga, Sweden, is a subsidiary of Saab AB that specializes in defense materiel such as missile systems and anti-tank systems. ...
“Calibre†redirects here. ...
A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ...
Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Saab Bofors Dynamics, located in Karlskoga, Sweden, is a subsidiary of Saab AB that specializes in defense materiel such as missile systems and anti-tank systems. ...
The M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon, also referred to as the Light Anti-Armor Weapon or LAW) is a portable one-shot 66 mm anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Talley Defense Systems, produced by Nammo Raufoss AS in Norway. ...
For the manufacturer of Saab cars, see Saab Automobile. ...
Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ...
Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ...
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Development The AT4 is a development of the 60 mm Pskott m/68 (Miniman), adopted by the Swedish army in 1960's. Like the m/68, the AT4 was designed by Förenade fabriksverken (FFV) and manufactured at their facility at Zakrisdal, Karlstad, Sweden. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
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Even before the AT4 had been adopted by Sweden it participated in a competition for a new anti-tank weapon for the U.S. Army. Runners up were the AT4 and the German Armbrust. Though impressed with the AT4, the US Army saw room for improvement—specifically the sights and slings, which were redesigned. Thereafter, the AT4 was adopted by the U.S. Army as the M136 antitank grenade launcher (LAW). The Swedish army recognised these improvements and subsequently adopted the Americanized version of the AT4 as the Pansarskott m/86 (Pskott m/86). The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ...
Armbrust (German: Crossbow) is a lightweight unguided anti-tank weapon developed by Germany, who later sold its manufacturing rights to Singapore, and equips two men in every seven-man Singapore infantry section with an anti-tank capability. ...
In the early 1990s there were tests with new 120 mm version with a tandem charge that would be able to penetrate the front armour of any modern main battle tank (MBT). However the project was canceled due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and cuts in defense budget.
Operation The AT4 operates on the principle of a "recoilless weapon," meaning that the forward inertia of the projectile is balanced by the mass of propellant gases ejecting out the rear of the barrel. Since the weapon generates almost no recoil, a relatively large projectile can be fired which would otherwise be impossible in a man-portable weapon. Additionally, since the barrel does not have to contend with the extreme pressures found in traditional guns, it can be designed to be very lightweight. The disadvantage of this design is that it creates a large "back-blast" area behind the weapon which can cause severe burns and pressure injuries—both to friendly personnel in the vicinity of the user and, in some cases, to the user himself. This makes it difficult to employ in confined areas. M67 recoilless rifle. ...
A projectile is any object sent through space by the application of a force. ...
A propellant is a material that is used to move an object by applying a motive force. ...
An early naval cannon design, allowing the gun to roll backwards a small distance when firing The recoil when firing a gun is the backward momentum of a gun, which is equal to the forward momentum of the bullet or shell, due to conservation of momentum. ...
The problem of back-blast has been eliminated recently with the AT4-CS. The new weapon deploys salt-water from the rear when it is fired. This spray captures and dramatically slows down the pressure-wave. The improved weapon allows troops to fire at armoured personnel carriers or tanks without exposing their bodies to enemy fire. Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are armoured fighting vehicles developed to transport infantry on the battlefield. ...
To fire, the user must first ensure that no friendly troops or equipment are present in the back blast area. If firing from the prone, (i.e. lying on his stomach) he must also place his legs well to the side to avoid burning himself. He then disengages two safeties, cocks a mechanical firing pin and presses a trigger button. Aiming is accomplished via range-adjustable plastic sights, which are concealed beneath sliding covers for transport. Alternatively, the weapon can carry an optical night-sight on a removable mount. The AT4 requires little training and is quite simple to utilize, making it suitable for general issue. Because the expensive unit cost is prohibitive to regular live-fire training, practice versions exist which are identical in operation but fire reloadable 9mm or 20mm tracers. The 20mm version is also a recoilless weapon and is favored by the Swedish army because of the added realism of the back-blast as compared to the "plonk" sound of the 9mm round (very similar to tapping your finger on an empty can). In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to prevent the firing of a weapon for safer handling. ...
The firing pin is a very hard steel rod with a one small, rounded end for striking the primer of a cartridge. ...
Night-vision is seeing in the dark. ...
Tracers from M16 rifles on U.S. Army firing range Tracer ammunition (tracers) use special bullets that are modified to accept a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. ...
M67 recoilless rifle. ...
Specifications - Length: 101.6 cm (40 in.)
- Weight: 6.7 kg (14.75 pounds)
- Bore diameter: 84 mm
- Maximum effective range: 300 metres (984.3 feet)although it has been used in excess of 500 meters for area effect.
- Penetration: 400 mm of rolled homogeneous armour (also see below)
- Time of Flight (to 250 metres): less than 1 second
- Muzzle velocity: 285 metres (950 feet) per second
- Operating temperature: -40 to +60° C (-40 to +140° F)
- Ammunition: Fin-stabilized projectile with shaped charge warhead
RHA stands for Rolled Homogeneous Armour. ...
Sectioned HEAT round with the inner shaped charge visible A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosives energy. ...
Projectiles There are several different projectiles for the AT4. Note that since the AT4 is a one-shot weapon, these projectiles are preloaded. - HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank)
- The AT4 HEAT is a low-trajectory, low-dispersion weapon that can penetrate up to 420 mm of armor.
- HEDP (High Explosive Dual Purpose)
- For use with bunkers and buildings. The projectile can be set to detonate on impact or with a delayed detonation.
- HP (High Penetration)
- Extra high penetration ability. Can penetrate 500 to 600 mm armour.
AT4 CS The AT4 CS (Confined Space) is a variant of the AT4 specially designed for urban warfare. Urban warfare is a modern warfare conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. ...
The regular AT4 can be extremely dangerous to fire from confined spaces due to the extreme increase in pressure. The back flame can also bounce back at the soldier if there is a wall or another solid object within 15 metres of the breech. The "CS" version utilizes a liquid countermass (specifically salt water) ejected from the rear upon firing, which neutralizes the backblast. Breech from Russian 122 mm M1910 howitzer, modified and combined with 105mm H37 howitzer barrel An interrupted screw style breech plug in the M109 howitzer An animation showing the loading cycle for a large naval breech-loader. ...
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References
See also The Urban Assault Weapon is a U.S. Army program to develop a next-generation shoulder-launched infantry weapon to replace the current M72 LAW, M136 AT-4, and XM141 Bunker Defeat Munition. ...
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