M80 Zolja (Wasp)

M80 Zolja (Wasp) Story

Young readers may not remember that there was ever a unified Yugoslavia in world history. The country also has a well-established local arms industry that provides many durable and effective solutions for the Yugoslav military and foreign customers. One such development is the M80 "Zolja" ("Wasp"), a shoulder-mounted anti-tank (AT) rocket launcher that is comparable in many respects to the American-made LAW series (including its general appearance and functionality) Comparable.

The M80 was designed by the Belgrade Military-Technical Academy and produced by Sloboda Cacak.

The M80 fired a 64mm rocket with an armor-piercing warhead at an effective range of 722 feet. The launch tube is a two-piece system that extends from its compact, folded travel form (via telescoping motion) to full length.

The tubes are pre-packaged with the 64mm projectile inside and ready to fire in seconds. The system as a whole was a light anti-tank solution with good range and armor penetration for its time. The shoulder straps make transport easier and the weight can be controlled at 3kg.

The popularity of the M80 and similar weapons is attributed to their relatively low production costs, ease of operation, and overall effectiveness on the battlefield. The projectile maintains a penetration value of up to 300mm of steel, and several of these launchers can be mounted on the back of a single infantryman, ready to deal with enemy armor once it is spotted.

Due to its local availability during the Yugoslav war in the 1990s, the M80 was widely used by all parties to the conflict.

Although the M80 originated in the 1970s, it is still manufactured in Serbia and Macedonia today (2015). Global operators include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Indonesia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Singapore and Slovenia.

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