Army Is Bringing Back a 70-Year-Old Gun

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Army Is Bringing Back a 70-Year-Old Gun

 

The M3 Carl Gustav will be issued to infantry troops.

 

The United States Army will soon begin distributing a

weapon system introduced in 1946.

 

 

The M3 Carl Gustav rocket launcher will bolster the firepower of rifle

platoons, giving them a much-needed edge.

 

Developed by Bofors (now Saab), the Carl Gustav is a

lightweight, man-portable recoilless rifle. Recoilless

rifles are like a cross between an artillery gun and a

bazooka:

 

While they have propellant at the base of the

projectile like a rocket, the propellant doesn't burn

beyond the barrel, meaning the projectile flies

unpowered like a bullet or artillery shell.

 

Unlike artillery, propellant gasses are directed backwards,

counteracting the weapon's recoil and making it

"recoilless".

 

The weapon is referred to as a "rifle"

due to the spiral rifling in the barrel, which

stabilizes the projectile.

 

The U.S. Army fielded a number of recoilless rifles

after World War II, in calibers from 57-millimeter to

106-millimeter.

 

 

The Army saw these rifles as anti-tank

weapons meant to counter the T-55 and T-62 tanks of

the Soviet Army. The Army retired these weapons when

Dragon and TOW anti-tank guided missiles came on the

scene.

The end of the Cold War and the rise of new threats

such as Iraqi guerrillas and the Taliban posed a

problem for the U.S. The shaped charge warheads of

anti-tank missiles are less effective against

buildings, bunkers, and enemy troops in the open.

 

Anti-tank missiles are also very expensive, meaning

you could spend up to $50,000 to blow a $500 mud hut

to smithereens.

 

 

Finally, anti-tank missile launchers

with their complex guidance systems are heavy and

difficult to lug though rough terrain.

 

The M3 Carl Gustav solves all three problems. The

weapon is basically a tube with grips and an aiming

sight. It can fire High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)

rounds to take out tanks and armored vehicles, and

High Explosive (HE) rounds meant to attack structures

and enemy personnel.

 

 

The shells have a diameter of 84

millimeters—or 3.3 inches—meaning they can pack a real

punch. The individual rounds are relatively inexpensive,

and the launcher weighs just 14 pounds.  

 

 

U.S. Special Operations units, who need portable,

lightweight firepower, have been toting the M3 Carl

Gustav since 1989.

 

 

Some regular infantry units in

Afghanistan have carried the Carl Gustav since at

least 2011, but they had to request and show a need

for the weapon to get it.

 

 

Now, Infantry Brigade Combat

Teams in the U.S. Army and National Guard will receive

these weapons at a rate of 27 per brigade, or one per

platoon of 40 soldiers.

 

Despite the Carl Gustav's age, it's actually more

versatile than many high tech weapons, making it

useful in tomorrow's conflicts.

 

 

In the new "hybrid warfare" pioneered by Russian forces in the Crimea,

armies could face "little green men" (paramilitary

troops) one moment and armored vehicles the next. The

M3 will be able to counter both. Not bad for a 70-

year-old weapon.

 

http://www.janes.com/article/60331/us-army-approves-
carl-gustaf-m3-maaws-for-general-use