It was developed as one of many proposed weapons to fill the U.S. Army’s desire for a squad level weapon that could be fired from inside a building, and packed more anti-armor punch than a 40mm.
Think about the time period and planners thinking about how to stop hypothetical hoards of BMPs rolling through West Germany.
This, along with other weapons, weren’t adopted because the Army pivoted doctrine away from focusing on new squad level weapons that could damage IFVs, to larger weapons like the TOW that could take out MBTs. The change in thinking traded lightweight and abundance organically to infantry on the move, for better performance per system.
I appreciate when a military’s response to ‘how do we solve this problem?’ becomes ‘that is not your problem.’ Ze Germans have a term for overloading functionality: eierlegende Wollmilchsau. Literally an egg-laying wool-milk-pig. Get your whole breakfast and a cozy blanket from one made-up animal. It is important to divide responsibility and avoid conflicting design goals.
Dudes fighting tanks is not a fair fight. You know what’s even less of a fair fight? Tanks fighting guided artillery.
It was developed as one of many proposed weapons to fill the U.S. Army’s desire for a squad level weapon that could be fired from inside a building, and packed more anti-armor punch than a 40mm.
Think about the time period and planners thinking about how to stop hypothetical hoards of BMPs rolling through West Germany.
This, along with other weapons, weren’t adopted because the Army pivoted doctrine away from focusing on new squad level weapons that could damage IFVs, to larger weapons like the TOW that could take out MBTs. The change in thinking traded lightweight and abundance organically to infantry on the move, for better performance per system.
I appreciate when a military’s response to ‘how do we solve this problem?’ becomes ‘that is not your problem.’ Ze Germans have a term for overloading functionality: eierlegende Wollmilchsau. Literally an egg-laying wool-milk-pig. Get your whole breakfast and a cozy blanket from one made-up animal. It is important to divide responsibility and avoid conflicting design goals.
Dudes fighting tanks is not a fair fight. You know what’s even less of a fair fight? Tanks fighting guided artillery.
Slightly nervous A400M noises