Airsoft Mk.153 Smaw Anti-tank Rocket Launcher

Based on the Israeli B-300, the SMAW is the primary infantry anti-tank weapon of the US Marine Corps

Country of origin	U.s.a.
Entered service	1984
Caliber	83 mm
Cartridge length	812 mm
Cartridge type	Estrus, HEDP, thermobaric
Cartridge weight (HEAA)	4.five kg
Cartridge weight (HEDP)	4.2 kg
Weight (empty)	seven.54 kg
Weight (loaded)	13.39 kg
Length (empty)	760 mm
Length (loaded)	ane 371 mm
Muzzle velocity	220 yard/s
Practical charge per unit of fire	3 rpm
Sighting range	upwards to 1 400 m
Range of effective fire (confronting 1x2 m target)	250 chiliad
Range of effective fire (against tanks)	500 m
Maximum range	1 800 m
Armor penetration (HEAA rocket)	600 mm of RHA
Armor penetration (HEDP rocket)	200 mm of RHA

The Mk.153 SMAW (Shoulder-launched Multi-purpose Assault Weapon) is the primary infantry anti-tank weapon of the US Marine Corps. Information technology is a derivative of the IMI B-300 rocket launcher developed in State of israel, though alterations fabricated to suit the requirements of the Marines have made both the weapon and its ammunition incompatible with the B-300 system, essentially resulting in a new and original weapon. Originally a production of McDonnell Douglass, the SMAW is now manufactured by Talley Defence.

Non a weapon originally planned-for by the USMC, the SMAW'south origins are rooted in combat lessons learned the hard way during the closing years of the Vietnam State of war, and the appearance of a new generation of Soviet main battle tanks during the early 1970s. Having retired the last of their M20 Super Bazookas in 1970, and beginning the process of phasing-out the M67 recoilless burglarize, the Marines had assumed that the M72 Constabulary would be able to take-over the mission of these older weapons, By 1979 nevertheless, the they finally realized that a reusable heavy support weapon suitable for destroying enemy strongpoints was needed, and also ane that could burn down a Loftier Explosive Anti-Tank (Oestrus) circular with substantially increased armor penetration likewise.

Initially, the Carl Gustaf recoilless burglarize was favored for this mission, merely a significant drawback was noted; ammunition had to be issued within storage containers, which and then had to exist opened in the field before ammunition was loaded into the weapon. As the French LRAC F1 and Israeli B-300 rocket launchers loaded their armament straight into the launcher, container and all, these were deemed the all-time options. Both had similar operation, but the B-300 was lighter and simpler, making information technology the natural candidate for the mission.

The pattern of the B-300 was re-worked to adapt the USMC's requirements, and the first launchers were delivered for testing and evaluation in 1982.

The layout of the SMAW is almost identical to that of the B-300, though with two major modifications. Kickoff, the sight runway is tailored to accept USMC eyes; specifically the Mk.42 three.8x optical sight, and AN/PVS-4 dark sight. The 2nd is the addition of a spotting rifle, which fires a highly-visible tracer projectile on a trajectory almost identical to that of an 83 mm rocket. The magazines are clipped onto the rocket containers themselves.

The SMAW may be fired from a standing, kneeling, or decumbent position. It is possibly the loudest weapon in its class, with a muzzle report of over 187 decibels, so hearing protection is advisable for all personnel in the general vicinity; officially, the only louder conventional weapon in the United states inventory are line charges used for mine-immigration. The backblast is also significantly stronger than that of the B-300, with Marine regulations requiring no personnel to be inside a 60-degree cone behind the weapon when it is fired, out to 100 m abroad. Similarly, the SMAW's backblast makes it too dangerous to fire within any construction, permit alone a confined space.

To fire the SMAW, the A-Gunner (Assistant Gunner) must showtime remove the protective cap from the height of the rocket container, then insert this cease into the cage of the launcher; securing the launcher into the container and enabling it to be fired are both accomplished by twisting the container 180 degrees, finer screwing it in. The Gunner must so actuate the charging lever, while the A-Gunner removes the spotting rifle armament from the side of the container. The next step is for the A-Gunner to load the spotting rifle, and for the Gunner to charge information technology. Next, the Gunner must ready the sights on a target; the spotting rifle may at present be fired to ensure the rocket will be on-target. When the Gunner has a shot, the A-Gunner is to audio a backblast expanse warning; the Gunner and so announces, "Rocket", the A-Gunner repeats, and the Gunner depresses the launch lever and pulls the trigger.

Note that the SMAW can too be operated by a single soldier with footling difficulty, though it would not exist readied and sustain the same charge per unit of fire every bit when a coiffure of 2 uses the weapon.

The SMAW cannot fire the same armament as the B-300, and has its own range of munitions. These include the Mk.six Estrus, Mk.3 HEDP, Mk.iv exercise rocket, Mk.213 dissonance cartridge, and the Mk.80 SMAW-NE.

The Mk.3 HEDP (High-Explosive, Dual-Purpose) round is a 4.2 kg rocket with a shaped charge warhead. It is like to a HEAT warhead, but carries a larger mass of explosives and a frangible casing. This produces a more powerful and less focused blast and greater fragmentation, making the HEDP a more effective munition against structures, textile targets, and personnel. It is able to penetrate 200 mm of steel Rolled Homogenous Armor (RHA), 300 mm of brick, or 2 100 mm of wood-reinforced sandbags. The Mk.three HEDP is thus effective against light armor, but it doesn't have enough penetration to defeat gimmicky main battle tanks.

The Mk.4 practice rocket is essentially a Mk.3 with an inert warhead, used for target practice. Its ballistics are identical, but without an explosive warhead, it is significantly safer to recover from a firing range.

Nigh commonly referred to equally a "HEAA" (High-Explosive Anti-Armor) round, the Mk.half-dozen HEAT is a four.five kg rocket with a shaped charge warhead. The charge is capable of penetrating 600 mm of steel RHA, in office due to the addition of a stand-off probe to the nose. The Mk.6 is effective confronting a 1x2m target at 250 one thousand, and a tank-size target at 500 m.

The Mk.213 noise cartridge is also used for grooming purposes. However, literature on the Mk.213 racket cartridge is unclear as to whether information technology is used to launch a projectile, or whether its simply a pyrotechnic simulator (i.e., a "blank" cartridge).

The Mk.lxxx SMAW-NE rocket is an anti-structure munition with a hardened casing and a deep penetration capability, not unlike the HEFT round for the B-300. Simply unlike the HEFT circular, which carries a uncomplicated unshaped HE accuse, the "NE" in SMAW-NE denotes its "Novel Explosive" warhead; this contains 1.8 kg of PBXIH-135, an advanced, high-free energy thermobaric filler. This round was developed in response to an urgent requirement past the USMC that was issued in the early on 2000s to create an improved man-portable weapon for utilise against structures.

A round referred to as the FTG ("Follow-Through Grenade") has also been adult for the SMAW, which has the designation Mk.118. Weighing-in at 1.59 kg, the projectile carries i.09 kg of Composition A3 explosives, and is designed peculiarly to destroy structures and softskin vehicles. Information technology seems like in class and function to the HEFT round fired past the B-300.

Nearly of the SMAW'south ammunition has a maximum range of 1 800 m, which is a considerably farther range than near of this weapon's contemporaries. The rockets will also arm at a minimum range of only 15 m, making the SMAW ideal for gainsay operations in airtight terrain, such every bit jungles, urban environments, and mountains.

Likewise notable is that all of the rockets for the SMAW have extremely powerful boost motors, that expend their fuel very quickly. As a result, the SMAW is one of the loudest weapons on the battlefield, with a 187-decibel muzzle report; co-ordinate to U.s. armed forces literature, the simply louder conventional weapon in the Us inventory is a mine-clearing line charge. Marines operating the SMAW are required by USMC regulations to clothing hearing protection at all times while using the weapon, except in emergencies. Curiously, no published literature on the B-300 has ever noted such an outcome (though there is no dubiety that the B-300 is nonetheless quite loud).

The spotting rifle is a self-loading, semi-automated weapon fed by a vi-round detachable box magazine, and fires the unique Mk.217 9x51 mm tracer circular. This unusual circular has a 7.62x51 mm NATO rifle casing crimped to fit a 9 mm tracer bullet, which contains an even stranger innovation; a complete .22 Hornet cartridge, which contains the entire propellant charge, leaving the rest of the modified seven.62x51 mm totally empty. In addition to its tracer, the 9 mm projectile also creates a vivid flash on bear upon, visible even in broad daylight. This weapon may also exist employed against personnel, though its low muzzle velocity make it less than ideal for the job.

The SMAW entered service just in time to see use in Performance Just Cause, the 1989 Us invasion of Panama. As the Panamian Defence force Forces had relatively picayune armor, but employed many fortifications and obstacles, the SMAW was exactly the type of weapon the Marines needed, and information technology was used to good result in the crowded cities, forests, and jungles of that nation.

In preparation for Operation Desert Storm, the USMC loaned 150 launchers and 5 000 rounds to the United states Army, and both services used the SMAW in gainsay during Performance Desert Storm. The United states of america Army was reportedly impressed past the operation of the SMAW in that conflict, but later returning the remaining launchers and ammunition over the next couple of years, no Army purchases of the SMAW followed.

The adjacent major disharmonize involving the SMAW was the Afghan State of war, where the USMC clearly needed its capabilities more than always before. Information technology saw very heavy use throughout that conflict, and also in the subsequent Iraq War. It was also during this fourth dimension that the USMC foresaw a demand for a SMAW circular with profoundly increased firepower against structures.

Despite the SMAW-NE's tremendous explosive power, information technology has actually proven wanting in combat. Its unusually low muzzle velocity (only 150 m/sec) made the SMAW-NE a significantly weaker penetrator than originally anticipated, and the USMC throughout the Iraq War was forced to prefer the tactic of first mouse-holing a construction with an HEDP rocket, then firing a SMAW-NE round through information technology. In spite of this, the USMC ordered an additional 3 000 SMAW-NE rounds in Oct 2006, in addition to their initial social club of one 000.

Though not every bit widespread as the preceding B-300, the Mk.153 SMAW has had some success on the consign market. In improver to the US, it is too operated by Lebanon, Pakistan, and Taiwan.

The SMAW remains in production and development. Each launcher costs approximately $13 000, though some ammunition for it really costs fifty-fifty more; for case, the Mk.6 Rut circular costs an amazing $25 000.

Variants

B-300: The SMAW was developed from on this Israeli-built weapon, though they ended upward having no compatible parts or ammunition.

MK.153 Modernistic 0 SMAW: Basic production model. In service with the United states of america and several other nations.

MK.153 Modernistic 2 SMAW: Upgraded MK.153 SMAW with improved optics, a laser rangefinder in identify of the spotting rifle, and improved ergonomics. Entering service with the USMC in 2016.

SMAW-NE: Launcher employing the same 83 mm rocket every bit the SMAW, and a new "Novel Explosive" (hence the "NE") thermobaric warhead for utilise against bunkers, entrenched infantry and a wide array of other targets.

M141 BDM: The M141 Bunker Defeat Munition, likewise chosen the SMAW-D (for "Disposable"), is a disposable single-shot launcher with a similar round to that used in the SMAW-NE. Interestingly, it is used by the United states of america Army, and not the Us Marine Corps. The M141 BDM has also been exported to Lebanon.

SMAW II: Improved version of the SMAW under development, capable of launching a Rut round with a tandem shaped charge warhead with significantly greater penetration.

SMAW Two Serpent: Upgraded SMAW II with many improvements.

Constabulary lxxx: Non straight related to the SMAW itself, just uses a variant of the same spotting rifle.