However, the bazooka had its drawbacks. Large and slightly damaged, it required a well-trained two-man crew. Germany developed an individual alternative, the Panzerfaust, with single-shot launchers that were cheap and did not require any special training. As a result, they were regularly issued to the internal security regiments of the Volkssturm. They were very effective against tanks in the last days of World War II. When opened, the M72 LAW is about 30% longer, with the inner tube extended from the rear end of the outer chamber. A rail that is fully retracted into the launcher sight box when folded is now clearly visible and extends from the back of the case to the front of the rear sight cover. The front cover is completely removed from the gun, while the back cover hangs from a hinge under the rear end of the outer tube. The carrying buckle detaches from the swivel gasket on the back cover and usually remains attached to the front pivot. After cooking, the noose is usually removed from the tube.
According to Lang Vei, the army conducted a test firing of a series of M72s to test their reliability. The test results report speaks for itself; After the Battle of Lang Vei, eighteen M72 LAW were tested by the A-109 Division at Thuong Duc. Three of these six failures were due to malfunctions of the fire mechanism. A second check of all arson and fuses was conducted, after which a second attempt was made to fire the weapon. They couldn`t shoot anymore. The barrel collapsed and extended to the firing position, and a third attempt was made to fire the weapon with negative results. The remaining three M72 LAW ignited, but the rocket could not leave the carrier tube. Of the twelve missiles that fired correctly, one did not explode on impact. The M72 missile has been in service in Australia since the Vietnam War. [19] [20] Currently, the Australian Defence Force uses the M72A6 variant, known as the direct fire support light weapon,[21] as a secondary antistructure and anti-tank weapon. The weapon is used by ordinary troops at the platoon level and complements the heavier 84mm Carl Gustav recoil rifle and Javelin missile, which are typically used by specialized fire support and anti-tank troops. [22] The Talley Defense Systems M72 LAW (Light Anti-armor Weapon; sometimes called LAWS or Light Anti-armor Weapon System) is a disposable anti-tank missile weapon.
It is very small, lightweight and easy to use and is intended to be delivered to as many soldiers as needed when needed. This is a radical departure from the traditional approach of delivering a reloadable anti-tank weapon to a special grenadier, although this approach is not unprecedented. WW2`s German Panzerfaust disposable recoil gun was developed around the same concept. HAR-66: Turkish hybrid weapon with an M72A2 missile and an M72A3 launcher. Trust in the M72 LAWS series dropped dramatically in the U.S. military and NATO, prompting the U.S. military to develop a successor. However, the resulting FGR-17 Viper anti-tank missile launcher was an even greater embarrassment, and the program and remaining purchases were halted shortly after it entered service. As a result of the LAWS and the Viper, the U.S. military was forced by Congress to acquire a new portable anti-tank weapon very quickly, and the weapon in question was to be already in production. Since the M72 LAW and FGR-17 Viper were the only weapons of this type made in the United States at the time, the Department of Defense had no choice but to acquire a weapon of foreign origin (for which the US military is notorious).
The U.S. military eventually opted for a Swedish anti-tank weapon (the Bofors AT-4, like M136), while the U.S. Navy purchased an Israeli system (the B-300, like SMAW). Pickets: Enlarged version of the M72 LAWS with an 82mm rocket, developed in Israel. Not commissioned. A training variant of the M72 law, called M190, also exists. This weapon is refillable and uses the 35mm M73 training rocket. A sub-caliber drive device that uses a special tracer cartridge also exists for the M72. A training variant of the Finnish Armed Forces fires 7.62mm tracer ammunition. Once fired in battle, the launcher must be destroyed to prevent it from being used as a trap by the enemy. The enemy could return the launcher to its original configuration, fill it with explosives, and manipulate it to explode when moved by a soldier who believes it is unused.
Due to the disposable nature of the weapon, it was issued by the Canadian and U.S. military in the form of so-called “wooden cartridge” ammunition,[18] which did not require any verification or maintenance, just as small arms ammunition can be stored in the same way for years without any problems. HAR-66 AP “Wasp”: A HAR-66 launcher and a missile with an anti-personnel warhead. M72A4: Has an improved launcher and a faster rocket and an improved warhead. In the closed position, the M72 LAW is recognizable by a cylindrical fiberglass launcher, usually olive, with a long, narrow and rectangular sighting case along the entire length of the tube. A transport sling is attached to a vortex on the rear cover and another swivel on the underside of the foreword section of the launch tube. M72: Original production model. Uses the M54 rocket. The M72 LAW was released as pre-packaged ammunition. Improvements to the launcher and differences in ammunition were distinguished by a single designation. The original M72 warhead penetrated 5 centimeters (2 inches) of armor.
[16] [17] To fire the M72 LAW, the operator must remove the cockpin and remove the rear cover and shut-off device (FM 3-23.25 warns operators not to throw away the rest of the shutdown unit until the missile is fired). The operator must then extend the launcher by grasping the rear sight cover with the firing hand, and the front area of the launcher with its non-firing hand — the launcher * must * be fully extended and locked to fire safely, which is achieved when it is extended enough that it is impossible to telescope it again. The launcher must then be worn on the shoulder and the thread of the folding visor raised; If the target is in the operator`s sights, the cocking handle should be pulled to the “ARM” position and, when the operator is ready to fire, he or she should press the trigger rod. If there is no malfunction, the rocket will be launched almost immediately. The weapon consists of a rocket in a launcher, which consists of two nested tubes. When closed, the outer assembly serves as a watertight container for the missile and the impact cap firing mechanism that activates the missile. The outer tube contains the trigger, cocking handle, front and rear visor and back cover.
