M72 LAW

M72 LAW
M72 LAW
	An M72 LAW in extended position
Type	Anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1963–present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Vietnam War; Cambodian Civil War; Laotian Civil War; Sino-Vietnamese War; Lebanese Civil War; Nicaraguan Revolution; Falklands War; Salvadoran Civil War; Gulf War; Bougainville Civil War; Somali Civil War; Bosnian War; War in Afghanistan; Iraq War; Syrian Civil War; Yemeni Civil War; Russo-Ukrainian War; Gaza war;
Production history
Designer	FA Spinale, CB Weeks and PV Choate
Designed	Patent filed 1963
Manufacturer	Norway: NAMMO (Raufoss, Norway); U.S.: NAMMO Defense Systems (Mesa, Arizona); Turkey: under license by MKEK;
Produced	1963–1980; 2004–present
Specifications
Mass	2.5 kg (5.5 lb) (M72A1–3) / 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) (M72A4–7)
Length	630 mm (24.8 in) (unarmed); 881 mm (34.67 in) (armed)
Caliber	66 mm (2.6 in)
Muzzle velocity	145 m/s (480 ft/s)(M72A1–3); 200 m/s (660 ft/s)(M72A4–7)
Effective firing range	200 m (660 ft), 220 m (720 ft) (A4–7)
Detonation; mechanism	Point-initiated, base-detonated

The M72 LAW (light anti-tank weapon, also referred to as the light anti-armor weapon or LAW as well as LAWS: light anti-armor weapons system) is a portable one-shot 66 mm (2.6 in) unguided anti-tank weapon.

In early 1963, the M72 LAW was adopted by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps as their primary individual infantry anti-tank weapon, replacing the M31 HEAT rifle grenade and the M20A1 "Super Bazooka" in the U.S. Army. It was subsequently adopted by the U.S. Air Force to serve in an anti-emplacement and anti-armor role in airbase defense.

In the early 1980s, the M72 was slated to be replaced by the FGR-17 Viper. However, the Viper program was canceled by Congress and the M136 AT4 was adopted instead. At that time, its nearest equivalents were the Swedish Pskott m/68 (Miniman) and the French SARPAC.