13 Facts About AT4

The AT4 is not considered a rocket launcher as the explosive warhead is not propelled by a rocket motor; similarly, it is not exactly a recoilless rifle, but rather a recoilless gun, as the launcher is smoothbore and not rifled.

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 is intended to give infantry units a means to destroy or disable armoured vehicles and fortifications, although it is generally ineffective against current modern main battle tanks, especially those with reactive armour, unless weaker sections of the tank's armour are exploited.

The AT4 was designed as a weapon to engage medium to light armoured vehicles from any direction, MBTs from the sides or rear, and as an assault weapon against buildings and fortifications.

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The US Army reported to Congress in November 1983 that the FFV AT4 came the closest to meeting all the major requirements established to replace the M72 LAW, with the Armbrust coming in second.

The AT4 took many of its design features from the Carl Gustaf, which operates on the principle of a recoilless weapon, where the forward inertia of the projectile is balanced by the inertia of propellant gases ejecting from the rear of the barrel.

AT4 uses a unique method developed earlier by FFV and adopted for the AT4: the spring-loaded firing rod is located down the side of the outer tube, with the firing pin at the rear of the tube.

AT4 then takes a firing position ensuring that no one is present in the back blast area.

The AT4 has iron sights that were originally developed for the cancelled Viper, and are similar in concept and use to those on assault rifles.

AT4 then removes the first of two safeties by moving the firing rod cocking lever forward and then over the top to the right side.

AT4 requires little training and is quite simple to use, making it suitable for general issue.

The 20mm version has a recoilless weapon effect with the same high noise and back blast as the AT4 firing and is favoured by the Swedish army because of the added realism of the back blast as compared to the "plonk" sound of the 9mm round .