LAW 80 Light Anti-Armour Weapon

The LAW 80 is a man portable, disposable, anti-tank weapon currently in use by the British Army.

The weapon consists of an extendable launch tube with an integrated 9 mm ranging rifle and an optical 1x sight. The ranging rifle is ballistically matched to the rocket and uses a specially designed round consisting of a 9mm tracer bullet loaded into a modified 7.62mm NATO shell casing with a .22 Hornet blank mounted in the base of the larger case providing the propellant charge. When fired the .22 cartridge case pushes out of the 7.62mm casing, unlocking the breech of the ranging rifle in the manner of a priming action.

After removing the end caps and extending the rear of the launch tube the firer then opens the sight and arms the ranging rifle by putting the arming lever into the “armed” position. To fire the projectile the firer moves the “charge” lever with his firing hand thumb. The rocket motor is exhausted before the projectile leaves the launch tube, arming itself at a pre-set distance while coasting to the target.

The warhead is a HEAT shaped charge and will penetrate 700mm (27.5in.) of rolled homogenous armour at 90^o.

Showing how shape charge works

SPECIFICATION.

Contractor: Hunting Engineering
Calibre: 94 mm
Launcher length:
- Firing mode: 1.5 m
- Carrying mode: 1 m
Weight:
- Carrying weight: 10 kg
- Shoulder weight: 9 kg
- Projectile weight: 4.6 kg
Dispersion: approx. 1 mil
Warhead arming range: 10 to 20 m
Effective range: 20 to 500 m
Fuse:
- Type: Piezo-electricimpact fuse, scrub and foliage proof
- Graze angle: <= 10°
Temperature range: -46 °C to +65 °C
Rear danger area: < 20 m
Shelf life: 10 years