LAW 80
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The LAW 80 (Light Anti-armour Weapon) is a man-portable one-shot disposeable anti-tank weapon in used by the British Army. It entered British service in 1987 replacing the 84 mm Carl Gustav and M72 LAW anti-tank weapons, and is scheduled to be replaced by the next generation top-attack MBT LAW.
Description
The weapon consists of an extendable launch tube with an integrated 9 mm spotting rifle and 1× sight. The spotting rifle has five rounds of ammunition, and is ballistically matched to the rocket.To launch the rocket the firer removes the large protective end caps and entended 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 hands thumb. The rocket motor burns out before it leaves the launch tube, the resulting blast being directed rearwards from the launch tube. In effect it is a recoilless rifle. The rocket then coasts to the target, arming itself after it has passed a certain arming distance. The warhead is a HEAT shaped charge and can reportedly penetrate 700 mm of armour.
Specifications
- Contractor: Hunting Engineering.
- Effective range: 20 m to 500 m
- Fuze: Piezo-electric impact fuze, scrub and foliage proof
- Launcher length: (firing mode) 1.5 m
- Launcher length: (carrying mode) 1 m
- Projectile weight: 4.6 kg
- Dispersion: approx 1 mil
- Carrying weight: 10 kg
- Calibre: 94 mm.
- Temperature range: -46 °C to +65 °C.
- Rear danger area: 20 m
Users
Trivia
The spotting rifle from LAW 80 was used on the USMC SMAW.Addermine
Addermine is an acoustic sensor system which utilises the LAW 80 as a kill mechanism to create an off-route mine. It can also be command detonated from up to 200 m away.External links
References
- Jane's Infantry Weapons 2005-2006
- Jane's Infantry Weapons 1991-1992
| Modern (post Korean War) UK infantry weapons |
|---|
| Side-arms (Self-loading Pistols) |
| Browning L9A1 | L105A1 | L107A1 | 102A1 (Walther P5 Compact) |
| Rifles, Carbines, & LSWs |
| L1A1 SLR (FN FAL) | SA80 (L85)/LSW (L86) | L22A1 L108A1, L110A1 (Para) | L101A1 | L119A1 (Diemaco SFW) | L100A1 |
| Sniper Rifles |
| L42 | L96/L96A1 | L115A1 |
| Submachine guns |
| Sterling (L2) | L34A1 L80A1 (HK MP5K) L90A1 (HK MP5KA1) | L91A1 (HK MP5SD3) | L92A1 (HK MP5A3) |
| Shotguns |
| L32A1 | L74A1 (Remington 870 Wingmaster) |
| Machine-guns & other larger weapons |
| L4 (Bren) | L7 "GPMG"| L17A1/A2| LAW 80| L14/A1 L1A1 Heavy Machine Gun 51mm Light Mortar | L16 81mm Mortar | MILAN |
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