Saab Bofors MBT-LAW (N-LAW)

History

The Swedes developed the MBT-LAW ("Main Battle Tank and Light Anti-Tank Weapon") as a shoulder-fired, man-portable, infantry-grade armor-piercing weapon. The rise of main battle tanks during the Cold War, in turn, led to the increasing effectiveness of tank kill systems, culminating in the discovery of many useful options on today's modern battlefield. Design of the MBT-LAW began at Sabb Bofors Dynamics in 2002 using key qualities of several well-tested development systems and those incorporated into the 1987 AT4 CS model - which was adopted by the US Army as the "M136".

The end result is an appropriate response to the ever-changing threats posed by MBT.

The MBT-LAW fires a 150mm missile at subsonic speed with an effective range of 600m and a maximum range of 1,000m. The system includes a single-use transmitter. The launcher includes an optics and its own power source and has a simple tubular shape with an accessible muzzle and breech. The open bolt feature absorbs most of the recoil, allowing one-man shoulder-fired MBT LAWs - usually the right shoulder.

The overall weight is 12.5kg and the overall length is 1,016mm, allowing for inherent infantry-grade portability (including shoulder straps). This allows the gunner to deploy multiple MBT-LAWs when needed to provide effective portable tank-killing fire for unsuspecting tanker crews from almost any angle.

As an armor-piercing weapon, the MBT-LAW can also be used against fortifications to great effect and retains the inherent ability to fire from enclosed spaces - useful in urban combat.

The missile first clears the launcher before igniting the fuel, providing an extra measure of safety for the gunner. The initial speed is 131 feet per second, and the minimum attack range is 20 meters for added safety.

Guidance is achieved through a Predictive Line of Sight (PLOS) system, which is an inertial guidance, while the warhead located on each missile can engage the target through a top-down angle - usually the most vulnerable of all armored vehicles , including MBT.

In service with the Swedish Army, the MBT-LAW was adopted under the designation "RB-57". Armies of Finland, Indonesia, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom also use this weapon (as of November 2013).

The Finns called this type the "102 RSLPSTOHJ NLAW" and the British Army replaced their old LAW 80 and ILAW guns with the MBT-LAW.

MBT-LAW is also known by its other recognized name "NLAW" - the "N" for its "next generation" quality.

July 2018 - Announced that Malaysia has ordered an undisclosed number of NLAWs for Army service.

Specification

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Performance

Changes