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The AT-4 (also AT4)〔The designation AT-4 is an alpha-phonetic word play on the weapon's role (AT = "Anti-Tank") and calibre of 84 mm. Hewish, Mark, "FFV's Lightweight AT4, first of a new family of Swedish anti-armour weapons" ''International Defense Review'', May 1980, p. 70.〕 is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics (previously Bofors Anti-Armour Systems). Saab has had considerable sales success with the AT4, making it one of the most common light anti-tank weapons in the world. The designation "CS" represents "confined space", referring to the propellant charge being designed to operate effectively within buildings in an urban environment.〔Military Channel, "Weaponology" program, "Grenades through RPGs"|note=(exact title unknown, didn't look in time)|, rebroadcast: 18 November 2008; Note: Documentary Program concluded that this weapon was the best recent technology in a long line of grenades, anti-armor and RPG weapons, part of "best" being cost per shot and ease of use. More sophisticated "missile" based systems have severe ''cost and "need-of-training" negative factors'' by comparison with this Bazooka-like system, "which any 'farm peasant can be trained to fire.'" (paraphrased conclusion)〕 It is intended to give infantry units a means to destroy or disable armoured vehicles and fortifications, although it is not generally sufficient to defeat a modern main battle tank (MBT). The launcher and projectile are manufactured prepacked and issued as a single unit of ammunition, with the launcher discarded after a single use. ==Development== The AT4 is a development of the 74-mm ''Pansarskott m/68''〔''Pansarskott'' is a Swedish term that roughly translates to "Armour Shot."〕 (Miniman), adopted by the Swedish Army in the late 1960s. Like the m/68, the AT4 was designed by Försvarets Fabriksverk (FFV) and manufactured at their facility at Zakrisdal, Karlstad, Sweden. FFV began research in a replacement for the m/68 in 1976, deliberately designing an individual anti-armor weapon that would not be able to defeat the heavy armour protection of MBTs (main battle tanks) in frontal engagements, believing that to be counterproductive. The AT4 was designed as a weapon to engage medium to light armoured vehicles from any direction, MBTs from the sides or rear, and as an assault weapon against buildings and fortifications. FFV also had the design goal of a weapon that was simple to use, rugged, and far more accurate than previous individual antiarmor weapons against moving targets. Another key requirement was that the AT4 not only be able to penetrate armour, but also have a devastating beyond-armour effect after penetration. FFV and the Swedish Army began the first evaluation firings of the prototype AT4s in the spring of 1981 with 100 tested by early 1982.〔''International Defense Review'', May 1980, p. 71.〕 Even before the AT4 had been adopted by Sweden, it was entered into a US Army competition for a new anti-tank weapon mandated by Congress in 1982 when the FGR-17 Viper failed as a replacement for the M72 LAW. Six weapons were tested in 1983 by the US Army: the British LAW 80, the German Armbrust, the French APILAS, the Norwegian M72E4 (an upgraded M72 LAW), the US Viper (for baseline comparison purposes) and the Swedish AT4. The US Army reported to Congress in November 1983 that the FFV AT4 came the closest to meeting all the major requirements established to replace the M72 LAW,〔The French APILAS was the only tested weapon that had the maximum penetration to defeat the frontal armor of the new Russian T-72 MBT, but it was rejected due to its weight and size.〕 with the Armbrust coming in second.〔The Armbrust, while an impressive weapon with its almost total lack of launch signature, which enabled it to be fired from enclosed spaces, was rejected due to higher cost and lack of effective range against moving targets.〕 Though very impressed with the simplicity and durability of the tested version of the AT4, the US Army saw some room for improvement, specifically the addition of rear and front bumpers on the launch tube and changes to the sights and slings. After these changes, the AT4 was adopted by the US Army as the ''Lightweight Multipurpose Weapon'' M136.〔The U.S. Army had so much grief in the early 1980s from various committee members of the U.S. Congress over the M72 LAW being officially referred to in manuals as a Light ''Antitank'' Weapon that they named the AT4 to made sure no member of Congress could question that again.〕 The Swedish Army also recognized these improvements and subsequently adopted the Americanized version of the AT4 as the ''Pansarskott m/86'' (''Pskott m/86''), with the addition of a forward folding hand grip to help steady the AT4 when being aimed and fired. The forward folding grip is the only difference between the AT4 adopted by Sweden and the US Army version. Due to the urban combat conditions that US military forces have been facing regularly in the last several years, the US Army Close Combat Systems manager in charge of purchases of the AT4 suspended orders for the standard version of the AT4 and US military forces are now only ordering the AT4 CS version.〔John Antal. "Packing a Punch: America's Man-Portable Antitank Weapons". page 90. ''Military Technology''. March 2010. ISSN 0722-3226.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「AT4」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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