Breda Folgore 80

Breda Folgore 80 History

Due to the threat of Soviet armored forces in Europe during the Cold War, various types of man-portable anti-tank systems such as rocket launchers, anti-tank rocket launchers (ATGMs) and recoilless rifles were adopted by many major players. The latter are noteworthy , which originated in the fighting of World War II (1939-1945) as it provided a relatively simple and inexpensive system to operate and manufacture while reducing the inherent violent recoil effect through a complex arrangement of counterforces.

Recoilless rifles do this by releasing a specific amount of propellant gas from the back of the launch tube during the exit of the projectile. The forward force is actually counteracted by the backward force, creating a balanced fire effect. This way, complex recoil mechanisms do not have to be an integral part of the recoilless weapon design.

Many become crew-operated weapons (two or more people) that require the support of a tripod assembly, while others can shoot on the shoulder.

For Italians, "Folgore" ("Thunderbolt") was developed by the traditional Breda Meccanica Bresciana company. The company was founded in the years leading up to World War II, during which time it directed the design, development and production of various small arms, mainly aircraft and infantry machine guns. It also produced large-caliber solutions (Breda 20/65 Modello 35) for anti-tank and anti-aircraft work. The Folgore became an 80mm caliber weapon that could be fired from a bipod, tripod or shoulder. Construction began in 1974 and continued for a while until it was officially adopted by the Italian army in 1986.

The system weighs 60 pounds, measures 6 feet in length, fires at a rate of 4 rounds per minute, and has a maximum engagement range of 1,000 yards. Aiming is carried out using an optical 5x unit with an integrated rangefinder.

The launch tube is relatively light but strong and contains steel, nickel and cobalt.

The Folgore is mounted on a tripod and is equipped with a full optoelectronic sighting device, allowing the operator to quickly obtain target specifications. When firing from a bipod or shoulder, a less sophisticated, lighter optics was used.

Folgore relies on a special 80mm projectile with a three-second "boost" capability, which is achieved by a propellant charge that is part of the projectile's design. The propellant ignites after the missile leaves the launch tube, providing a sudden increase in velocity that improves accuracy by reducing the time the projectile takes to travel from the launch tube to the target in the air.

The projectiles also feature spring-loaded fins for basic rotation and stabilization during flight, and their bottoms are perforated to allow the necessary propellant gases to escape.

The main projectile in the game is a basic HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) shell that provides accurate and penetrating fire on armored vehicles (up to 450mm thick) and fortifications. This would allow aircrews to attack enemy tanks and enemy units protected by bunker-like structures (many anti-tank weapons evolved this way to become "bunker breakers" when needed).

In addition to serving the Italian army, the Folgore was also used by the Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. While the 80mm round has lost most of its effectiveness against modern main battle tanks (MBTs), it is still a powerful bunker-destroying ammunition system.

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