SLU-FAE (Surface-Launched Unit, Fuel-Air Explosive)

History

Rapid mechanization advances in World War II (1939-1945) made future Cold War (1947-1991) war planners aware of the importance of accelerating mine clearance and obstacle clearance. Both of these obstacles on the battlefield can be delayed by hours to days, depending on the nature of the force.

While the Allies ultimately claimed victory in the global conflict, that experience was not lost as they planned future wars in Europeagainst a new enemy of the Soviet Union.

In the late 1970s, the US military (Army and Naval Services) funded the development of a special mine and obstacle clearance vehicle built on the existing frame of the M548 tracked vehicle (also forming the M752 "long" Spear" battlefield missile carrier). This allows the unit to be tracked and synchronized with the main mechanized force, believed to be the U.S. Marine Corps conducting amphibious assault operations.

The launch vehicle assembly is a set of 30 x 345 mm rocket launch tubes on a trainable stand at the rear of the launch vehicle with limited retraction capability.

The vehicle was called SLUFAE - "Surface Launcher, Fuel Air Explosives" - and had a crew of four. It weighs 12 tons, is 6 meters long, 2.68 meters wide and 2.68 meters high.

It is powered by a GM 6V53T diesel engine with a power of 375 horsepower, travels at a speed of 60 km/h, and has a cruising range of 410 km. Stay amphibious and also cope with 60% gradients and 30% gradients.

SLUFAE testing took place between 1976 and 1978. The XM130 missile has a range of up to 150 meters, each weighs 86 kilograms and has a warhead of 45 kilograms.

As a blasting weapon, the missile is good at destroying obstacles and activating buried mines, but has a relatively short range and requires the vehicle to be close enough to the target area for the missile to really be effective. As a secondary, technology-oriented weapon, this is (theoretically) acceptable.

Although the SLUFAE project has good prospects, it has not been sought after and has become history. The U.S. military instead continued the concept with the CATFAE (CATapult-Launched, Fuel-Air Explosive) system.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

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Armor

30 x 345mm HE Rocket

Changes