LAW 80 ( backrear from Light Anti-armor Weapon for the 80s - " light anti-tank weapon for the 1980s ") [4] - British disposable anti-tank grenade launcher .
| LAW 80 | |
|---|---|
 Tests of the LAW 80 in the U.S. Army, 1983. | |
| Type of | manual anti-tank grenade launcher |
| A country |  |
| Service History | |
| Years of operation | c 1983 |
| Adopted | |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Hunting Engineering |
| Instance cost | $ 1140 (at 1981 prices) [1] £ 800 (priced at 1986) [2] |
| Specifications | |
| Weight kg | 8 [3] |
| Length mm | 1500 ( in combat position ) [3] 1000 ( in the stowed position ) [3] |
| Caliber mm | 94 [3] |
| Sighting range , m | 300 [3] |
| Maximum range, m | 500 [3] |
| Type of ammunition | disposable [3] |
Designed to defeat armored and unarmored targets, as well as fortified infantry positions.
Content
History
LAW 80 was developed with the aim of replacing the 66-mm anti-tank grenade launchers M72 and 84-mm recoilless guns Carl Gustav, which were in service with the British armed forces [5] . Subcontracting Royal Ordnance structural units took part in the development of the grenade launcher -small arms unit (launcher) and ammunition unit (grenade). The same company manufactured a grenade launcher body, sighting device and explosive [4] . In the fall of 1986, the UK Department of Defense entered into a £ 200 million contract with Hunting Engineering to supply 250,000 grenade launchers. [2] About 30% of grenade launcher parts were manufactured at the Hunting factory, including its launcher, pipe, container, and field simulator. About four hundred workers were involved in the production of LAW 80 at the Hunting and Royal Ordnance factories [6] . Then, in 1986, on the basis of a grenade launcher, they created an autonomous self - breeding anti - tank mine Lawmine , which however did not go into production [2] . In addition to the national defense order, a large order, received in 1986 from Jordan, became a great help for manufacturers [7] .
Device
The first prototypes and pre-production LAW 80s had a fiberglass launch tube [3] [8] , later the barrel was made of Kevlar [3] .
Cumulative grenade, weighing 4 kg [3] .
The engine is solid fuel, with a thrust of 97.8 kN [8] . The fuel charge is 0.5 kg of hydroxyl polybutadiene [3] . The noise level of the shot is in the range of 175-180 dB [8] .
Sights include a sighting device, which is an aluminum barrel mounted on the launch tube and designed to shoot at the target with a 9 mm tracer bullet [5] . There are five rounds in the charging chamber that cannot be recharged. This feature significantly increases the accuracy of aiming, but at the same time serves as a unmasking factor [1] .
Performance Specifications
- Weight: 9.4 kg
- Penetration: 600 mm [3]
- Transfer from traveling to combat: 10 seconds [5]
- Shelf life: 10 years [3]
Sights
Sights - open type [3] .
In 1987, the British Army adopted the unified non-illuminated night sight "Kite" manufactured by Pilkington (4x, weight 1 kg, continuous battery life - 36 hours, night vision range - up to 400 m). The sight was mounted on L85 assault rifles, L86A1 light machine guns and LAW 80 grenade launchers. In total, 11,000 Kite sights were manufactured and delivered for the British armed forces.
Operator countries
- Great Britain - adopted in 1983, [3] a certain number of grenade launchers were in service in 2007 [9]
- Jordan - adopted in 1986, [7] 2500 grenade launchers were in service in 2007 [10]
- Oman - adopted in 1990, a certain number of grenade launchers were in service in 2007 [11]
- USA - the license holder (Hunting) entered into a licensing agreement with LTV for the production of a grenade launcher in the USA, LAW 80 was offered for the United States ILC , was presented on August 3-5 on 1982 at the Marine Corps League Exhibit exhibition in Washington, [ 12] 70 grenade launchers were purchased in early 1983 for army tests at the Aberdeen Proving Ground conducted from April 1 to July 31, 1983, [13] was not accepted for service due to its cost not less than five times the M72 LAW [ 14]
- Sri Lanka
See also
- List of grenade launchers
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Statement of Maj. Gen. Lawrence F. Skibbie, Director, Combat Support Systems Office, Deputy Chief of Staff Research, Development, and Acquisition, United States Army , Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1982, October 7, 1981, pt. 9, p. 404.
- ↑ 1 2 3 LAW 80 ordered for British Army . // Armed Forces , November 1986, v. 5, no. 11, p. 487, ISSN 0142-4696.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Adopted by: LAW 80 anti-tank grenade launcher // Technique and Armament, No. 9, 1983. pp. 39-40
- ↑ 1 2 Royal Ordnance: LAW 80 . // Armed Forces , April 1986, v. 5, no. 4, p. 188, ISSN 0142-4696.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Anti-tank grenade launcher // "Equipment and armament", No. 5, 1982. p. 38
- ↑ £ 200m contract for light anti-armor weapon . // Jane's Defense Weekly . - 23 August 1986. - Vol. 6 - No. 7 - P. 273 - ISSN 0265-3818.
- ↑ 1 2 LAW 80 for Jordan . // Armed Forces , November 1986, v. 5, no. 11, p. 535, ISSN 0142-4696.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Anti-tank grenade launcher "LOU" // "Equipment and armament", No. 6, 1982. p. 39
- ↑ The Military Balance 2007. - P. 149.
- ↑ The Military Balance 2007. - P. 230.
- ↑ The Military Balance 2007. - P. 239.
- ↑ Antitank Weapons in Marine Corps Exhibit . // Aviation Week & Space Technology , July 26, 1982, v. 117, no. 4, p. 10, ISSN 0006-2175.
- ↑ Statement by Lt. Gen. James H. Merryman, Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition , Department of Defense Appropriations for 1984, February 15, 1983, pt. 4, pp. 241-243.
- ↑ Testimony of Hon. John O. Marsh, Jr., Secretary of the Army , Department of Defense Appropriations for 1982, April 1, 1981, pt. 2, p. 581.
Links
- G. Andreev. English RPG LAW 80 // Foreign Military Review, No. 12, 1983. p. 88-89
- http://weapon.at.ua/load/213-1-0-231