Small Arms and Ammunition

sumdud said:

Couple of Questions:
Standard sight?! Where will it be made? And what's the difference between this and the MKE?
Why doesn't Turkey just use the HK33?

And why has the C79 been getting?

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The sight has a long history of teething problems. The optics are great, but the mount leaves something left to be desired. Even after a revision to the C79A2, the mount is perhaps the most problematic of the system. The sight cannot maintain its zero under combat conditions, it is not NVG compatible, and the scope requires constant cleaning otherwise the scope is completely useless. Not only that, the backup sights for it are made of rubber; and you can guess what happens to a rubber nub.

Time to dust out this old thread since we have not been talking too much about small arms from around the world.

I was on defenceweb tv and army recognition and notice the below "Pike Grenade" This Grenade is designed to fire from M320 or enhanced grenade launching module. It successfully hit the target at 2300 yards (approx 2100 meters) and the rocket ignites 8-10 feet after launch.

The confusing thing is that it states this munition is semi active laser seeker, but further down in the article, it states the current configuration would require "programmable laser codes prior to loading Pike into its launcher."

Too bad, it did not further elaborate on the cost. I wonder what the results would be if this technology is applied to RPG and LAW.

I love when technology is applied to "dumb" weapons and make it more effective while reducing cost

Pike is basically a miniaturized laser guided missile fired from a 40mm single shot grenade launcher. Now could the technology of the Pike system be applied to a RPG or M79 Light antitank weapon... Yes and No.
Yes for RPG in that the RPG is a launch system where in alternative rockets can easily be loaded.
No as the LAW is a single use disposable meaning that the system would have to be purpose built so you might as well just load a Pike in a M203 or M320.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Pike is basically a miniaturized laser guided missile fired from a 40mm single shot grenade launcher. Now could the technology of the Pike system be applied to a RPG or M79 Light antitank weapon... Yes and No.
Yes for RPG in that the RPG is a launch system where in alternative rockets can easily be loaded.
No as the LAW is a single use disposable meaning that the system would have to be purpose built so you might as well just load a Pike in a M203 or M320.

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Just a question of knowledge. Isn't LAW stands for light anti tank weapon? I thought it would apply to all re loadable and non -re-loadable weapon or is is mostly referring to single shot ones

Anyways, with design like Panzerfaust 3 where the trigger system is not disposed, I would think it will be great for cheap anti tank guided weapon.

Also I wonder if this would be further develop to APKWS level or laser guided "cannons" for helicopter

ahho said:

Just a question of knowledge. Isn't LAW stands for light anti tank weapon? I thought it would apply to all re loadable and non -re-loadable weapon or is is mostly referring to single shot ones

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The Achronim LAW was specifically coined for the US M72 ( I miss typed earlier and said M79) Which is a disposable Infantry Shoulder fired recoilless rocket. It was eventually supplanted by the AT4 which is also disposable.
. The term RPG is applied to all most all Russian Shoulder fired Antitank Infantry rockets yet it is most associated with the RPG-7.
Overall there is no real Universal Catch all term. You could say Recoilless launcher but that covers some like the Carl Gustav Another one that works is Antitank rocket yet in reality these systems cannot defeat a modern Tank or IFV and are most often used against light vehicles or Infantry.

Anyways, with design like Panzerfaust 3 where the trigger system is not disposed, I would think it will be great for cheap anti tank guided weapon.

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The Panzerfaust 3 is based on the same root as the RPG-7. A reloadable Antitank Rocket so yeah it a PIKE based rocket would work same for a Carl Gustav but they would be a poor Tank buster. as the Guidance system eats up the warhead.

Also I wonder if this would be further develop to APKWS level or laser guided "cannons" for helicopter

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Actually It worked the Other way around PIKE came about because the US was working on Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System which is a laser guided Hydra 70 Rocket.
As for Smart cannons well That I think might come from the EXACTO program but really since the Cannons in this case would likely be the already turret mounted type on attack helicopters I just don't see a need.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

Actually It worked the Other way around PIKE came about because the US was working on Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System which is a laser guided Hydra 70 Rocket.
As for Smart cannons well That I think might come from the EXACTO program but really since the Cannons in this case would likely be the already turret mounted type on attack helicopters I just don't see a need.

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That I know. What I am thinking of rockets that are below 70mm. The APKWS type were mostly for 70mm rockets.

It is true that, with the guidance system, the explosive war head would be smaller, but for some reason, I can't help of thinking small cheap guided rockets for anti vehicle use

ahho said:

That I know. What I am thinking of rockets that are below 70mm. The APKWS type were mostly for 70mm rockets.

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2.75" Is possible but other then the Soviet derived 57mm rocket systems there is really few below 2.7" Most of NATO uses 2.7" or larger at least for Air To Ground.

It is true that, with the guidance system, the explosive war head would be smaller, but for some reason, I can't help of thinking small cheap guided rockets for anti vehicle use

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light thin skinned utility vehicles Okay but At a distance. I mean if it's a few yards away why bother with the laser guidance. The Aim of PIKE is to extend The range of a Squad out to 1.5 Miles. It's other Use that is less mentioned is deployment of weapons from smaller Drones and UGV's MEaning that a much smaller then Reaper UAV like a Shadow can now deploy guided weapons.