M141 Bunker Defeat Munition
Encyclopedia
The M141 Bunker Defeat Munition (BDM), or SMAW-D ("Disposable"), is a single shot, shoulder launched weapon designed to defeat hardened structures. The weapon was designed as a modification of the United States Marine Corps
Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon
(SMAW) to fill the void in the United States Army
inventory of a "bunker buster" weapon.
(later Honeywell
), which replaced the standard HEAT warhead of the AT4/M136
with the same warhead dual purpose warhead as used by the USMC SMAW. FFV designated the bunker buster version of the AT4 the FFV AT8. In 1996 the McDonnell-Douglas candidate was chosen. In a unique move, the US Army ordered one batch of 1,500 then a second batch of 4,500 which were placed in contingency storage for expedited issue to units in combat. The SMAW-D was delivered to the Army in 1999.
The conferees of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 agreed that the Army's BDM and the Marine Corps' SRAW were too similar justify separate long-term projects, and that the Army should pursue an interim BDM program. Congress limited BDM procurement to 6,000 units.
CNN
news footage showed US Army Rangers firing M141s at various fortified caves during the Tora Bora
operations against the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda, being mistaken by the CNN reporters for AT4/M136 projectiles.
, in that the recoil created by launching the projectile is counteracted by a "backblast" of gases fired from the rear of the weapon. This makes the SMAW-D inherently dangerous, especially in confined, urban areas, as is with all weapons of this design.
The M141 has two configurations: A carry mode in which the launcher is 32 inches long, and a ready to fire mode in which the launcher is extended to its full length of 55 inches.
The warhead is the same High Explosive, Dual Purpose (HEDP) as the USMC SMAW. It is effective against masonry and concrete bunkers as well as lightly armored vehicles. The projectile is capable of penetrating up to 8 inches of concrete, 12 inches of brick, or 6.9 feet of sandbags. The warhead is activated by a crush switch in its nose that is able to distinguish between hard and soft targets. On soft targets, such as sandbags, the detonation is delayed until the projectile is buried in the target, producing a devastating effect. The warhead detonates immediately on contact with hard targets.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon
Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon
The Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon is a shoulder-launched rocket weapon, based on the Israeli B-300, with the primary function of being a portable assault weapon and a secondary anti-armor rocket launcher. It was introduced to the United States armed forces in 1984...
(SMAW) to fill the void in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
inventory of a "bunker buster" weapon.
Service History
Two candidates were evaluated for the US Army's BDM program. One candidate from McDonnell-Douglas (later Tally Defense Systems) which used the same warhead as the Marine Corps SMAW, but with a rocket motor with a shorter burn time, and another developed by Sweden's FFV for Alliant TechsystemsAlliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated...
(later Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
), which replaced the standard HEAT warhead of the AT4/M136
AT4
The AT4 is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics...
with the same warhead dual purpose warhead as used by the USMC SMAW. FFV designated the bunker buster version of the AT4 the FFV AT8. In 1996 the McDonnell-Douglas candidate was chosen. In a unique move, the US Army ordered one batch of 1,500 then a second batch of 4,500 which were placed in contingency storage for expedited issue to units in combat. The SMAW-D was delivered to the Army in 1999.
The conferees of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 agreed that the Army's BDM and the Marine Corps' SRAW were too similar justify separate long-term projects, and that the Army should pursue an interim BDM program. Congress limited BDM procurement to 6,000 units.
CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
news footage showed US Army Rangers firing M141s at various fortified caves during the Tora Bora
Battle of Tora Bora
The Battle of Tora Bora was a military engagement that took place in Afghanistan in December 2001, during the opening stages of the war in that country launched following the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The U.S...
operations against the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda, being mistaken by the CNN reporters for AT4/M136 projectiles.
Design
The SMAW-D operates on the principle of a recoilless rifleRecoilless rifle
A recoilless rifle or recoilless gun is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile than would be practical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns...
, in that the recoil created by launching the projectile is counteracted by a "backblast" of gases fired from the rear of the weapon. This makes the SMAW-D inherently dangerous, especially in confined, urban areas, as is with all weapons of this design.
The M141 has two configurations: A carry mode in which the launcher is 32 inches long, and a ready to fire mode in which the launcher is extended to its full length of 55 inches.
The warhead is the same High Explosive, Dual Purpose (HEDP) as the USMC SMAW. It is effective against masonry and concrete bunkers as well as lightly armored vehicles. The projectile is capable of penetrating up to 8 inches of concrete, 12 inches of brick, or 6.9 feet of sandbags. The warhead is activated by a crush switch in its nose that is able to distinguish between hard and soft targets. On soft targets, such as sandbags, the detonation is delayed until the projectile is buried in the target, producing a devastating effect. The warhead detonates immediately on contact with hard targets.
See also
- SMAWShoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault WeaponThe Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon is a shoulder-launched rocket weapon, based on the Israeli B-300, with the primary function of being a portable assault weapon and a secondary anti-armor rocket launcher. It was introduced to the United States armed forces in 1984...
- AT4AT4The AT4 is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics...