AT4
The AT4 is a Swedish 84 mm (3.31 in) unguided, man-portable, disposable, shoulder-fired recoilless anti-tank weapon manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics (formerly: FFV Ordance, later, Bofors Anti-Armour Systems). The AT4 is not a rocket launcher strictly speaking, because the explosive warhead is not propelled by a rocket motor. Rather, it is a smooth-bore recoilless gun (as opposed to a recoilless rifle, which has a rifled barrel). Saab has had considerable sales success with the AT4, making it one of the most common light anti-tank weapons in the world. The M136 AT4 is a variant used by the United States Army.
| AT4 | |
|---|---|
A US Marine aiming a M136E1 AT4 in 2014 | |
| Type | Disposable anti-tank launcher |
| Place of origin | Sweden |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1987–present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | See Wars |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Förenade Fabriksverken |
| Manufacturer | Saab Bofors Dynamics |
| Unit cost | US$1,480 |
| No. built | 600,000+ |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.7 kg (14.8 lb) (AT4) 8 kg (18 lb) (AT4-CS) |
| Length | 102 cm (40 in) |
| Caliber | 84 mm |
| Muzzle velocity | 290 m/s (950 ft/s; 1,000 km/h), 220 m/s (720 ft/s; 790 km/h) (CS) |
| Effective firing range | 300 m (point target) |
| Maximum firing range | 500 m (area target) 2,100 m (maximum) |
| Sights | Iron sights, optional AN/PVS-4 night vision unit |
| Filling | Octol |
| Filling weight | 440 g high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round |
| External images | |
|---|---|
| Prototype AT4 Sweden tested 1981/82 | |
| Early AT4 with Swedish Soldier | |
| Early AT4 launcher and projectile |
The name AT4 is a word play on the 84 mm caliber of the weapon, (84) 'eighty four' being a homophone of 'A-T-4'. The name also doubles as an alpha-phonetic word play on the weapon's role, due to "AT" being a common military abbreviation for "anti-tank". The name was created for export purposes as the nickname "eighty-four" was already a common English nickname for the Carl Gustaf 8.4 cm recoilless rifle after its caliber.
The AT4 is intended to give infantry units a means to destroy or disable armoured fighting vehicles and fortifications, although it is generally ineffective against more modern main battle tanks (MBTs), especially those with reactive armour, unless weaker sections of armour are exploited. The launcher and projectile are manufactured prepacked and issued as one unit of ammunition, with the launcher discarded after one use.