Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Army has heavily relied on the Swedish-designed AT4, a highly effective man-portable anti-tank rocket launcher, to counter armored vehicles and fortified positions. First adopted in 1985, the AT4's success is due to its accuracy, ease of use, and ability to penetrate armor up to 420 mm thick.

-Saab, the manufacturer, has introduced an enhanced version, the AT4CS TW with the XM919 Individual Assault Munition (IAM), capable of breaching heavily fortified defenses.

-The U.S. Army recently awarded Saab an IDIQ contract worth up to $494 million, ensuring continued procurement and deployment of these upgraded systems over the next five years.

The U.S. Army Loves the Swedish AT4

The success of drones on the modern battlefield cannot be overstated. Both Ukraine and Russia have employed a variety of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to target enemy vehicles and forward positions, but it should be remembered that Kyiv has also used man-portable anti-tank rocket launchers to destroy hundreds of Russian tanks and other armored vehicles.

This has included the American-made FGM-148 Javelin, the British-produced NLAW, and the Swedish-designed AT4. The latter weapon has been seen as highly effective – both in terms of its accuracy and cost. The unguided, single-shot, disposable, recoilless smoothbore anti-tank weapon remains one of the most commonly used platforms in countering armored vehicles, and fortified positions.

Its success is credited to the fact that the AT4 can be easily operated by a single soldier, and depending on the particular rocket model, the AT4 has a range of 200 to 600 meters, and it can penetrate roll homogenous armor (RHA) up to 420 mm (17.5-inches).

The AT4 was first adopted by the United States military in 1985, and more than 700,000 AT4 systems have been delivered to date.

Bunker Buster

Swedish-based Saab, maker of the AT4, has looked to enhance the capabilities of the weapon, and it introduced the AT4CS TW (Confined Space Tandem Warhead), which includes the XM919 Individual Assault Munition (IAM). It is reported to be capable of penetrating lightly armored assets, but also hardened bunkers, triple brick walls, and even double-reinforced concrete.

The AM919 IAM is a two-staged warhead – improving the chance for it to penetrate fortified positions that employ add-on protections or multi-layer defenses, which are designed to stop traditional single-stage warheads. Moreover, the enhanced ordnance was developed to be fired from confined spaces, including bunkers or trenches without risking the safety of nearby friendly personnel, The War Zone reported.

"Saab's new addition to the battle-tested AT4 family combines the capability of multiple existing shoulder-launched munitions while reducing soldier load, training complexity and logistics burden," the company announced in a statement.

While some of the XM919 IAMs could make their way to Ukraine, on Friday it was announced that the United States Army awarded "an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract" to Saab. That will allow the service to place additional orders for up to $494 million over the next five years for the ordnance, while "order values will be established individually when an order is placed under the IDIQ contract," the company added.

"At Saab, we continually adapt and improve our products to meet customer needs and protect the warfighter. Our new IAM solution enhances capabilities, removes combat burdens and is uniquely created to meet the U.S. customer's needs," explained Erik Smith, president and CEO of Saab in the U.S. "Saab has leveraged a successful, combat-proven system to make it even more effective, ultimately ensuring our solution is the best fit for the end-user."

It wasn't announced when the deliveries of the AT4 outfitted with the XM919 IAM would begin, but it would likely start sometime next year and continue over the next five years.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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