Rocket launcher

A rocket launcher is a Arme of Infanterie able to draw a rocket. One also regards them as lance grenade propelled by rocket. The French military denomination of the individual rocket launcher is LRAC (for anti-tank rocket launcher ).

History

Characteristics

The lance rocket is a weapon whose weight varies from approximately 3,5 kg for lightest like the American M72 LAW and until a little less than 12 kg for the most cumbersome models. They make it possible to attack motionless tanks until a distance of 500 meters for most powerful.

The majority of the rocket launchers are intended for an anti-tank use, with a ammunition equipped with a Hollow-charge. One in particular finds nevertheless other ammunition, flamers, with thermobaric fragmentation or for the attack of fortifications. It is not rare that these weapons are disposable, because they are primarily consisted the ammunition. The rocket launchers remain simple and not very expensive weapons which yield the step to the missiles guided for the shooting with longer range. During recent conflicts as in Iraq, of the operations of Guérilla urban implement RPG-7 against Hélicoptère S in slow or stationary flight at low altitude. Although the weapon is not designed for such a use, it appeared rather frightening in this context.

When one draws with a rocket launcher, the gases of the rocket motor are ejected with the back. There is thus a zone of danger behind the gunner which varies according to the power of the rocket but which usually makes several tens of meters length. This characteristic which is likely to cause accidents at the little trained troops, prohibited the shooting from a not cleared zone, like a building for example. The firing of the rocket gives place to a particularly noisy detonation which raises a cloud of dust and which makes the gunner very locatable. The capacity limited to a blow, is consequently not a handicap, the gunner having to change position immediately (although models bitubes were born in the Années 1970).

In order to counter these harmful effects, certain manufacturers proposed alternative systems, by introducing for example a against-mass made up of inoffensive plastic petals. The weapon gains consequently in discretion and can draw with a wall with a few meters only behind the weapon.

The bodies of aiming are generally optical with scales making it possible to adjust the shooting according to the distance, of the movement of the target and the wind, in particular on the entirely disposable weapons. During Years 1980, certain rocket launchers were equipped with a parallel rifle whose ammunition had ballistic characteristics equivalent to that of the rocket. The gunner could thus adjust its aiming while drawing several time on an armoured tank with rifle for then starting rocket fire. More sophisticated glasses, possibly equipped with a rangefinder and night vision are possibly available on the refillable models or whose only body of aiming is recovered on disposable models.

See too

Random links:Xavier Darcos | Evaluation of the hands to the bridge | Eyes to see | Jacques Vendroux | Opeti Fonua | Avantage_de_NES