Sarpac
Encyclopedia
Sarpac is a French
manufactured recoilless individual anti-antitank/assault rocket weapon.
The Sarpac was developed by the company Hotchkiss-Brandt, and it was primarily designed as an anti-tank weapon, but it is also useful against fortified positions constructed of concrete. The Sarpac comprises a launcher that can fire 68mm anti-tank
, dual-purpose anti-armour/personnel or illuminating
rocket projectiles. Sarpac is one of the few light antitank rocket launchers offered in the 1960s and 1970s that offered both a high penetration anti-tank round and a general purpose round, which has a smaller HEAT
warhead than the anti-tank round, and in addition has two metal fragmentation collars located around the body of the warhead, and while its penetration is not effective against heavily armoured MBTs
it does have sufficient penetration to be effective in the light anti-armour, anti-vehicle and anti-personnel and is considered superior for almost all combat firing missions other than antitank and concrete bunkers. And due to the size and weight of general purpose round there is almost double the effective range of the anti-tank round. The launcher consists of two telescoping tube sections with the inner one extending forward, a trigger mechanism, a sighting unit, a folding shoulder support and a strap for carrying. The sighting mechanism while considered unusual is robust and has the shape of a parallelogram
when in firing position. On the front of the sight there is both a ranging scale and a grid which enables the operator to fire at moving targets. The projectile is fin stabilized with eight forward folding fins which lock into position after leaving the tube. The rocket motor burns completely before leaving the tube, so as not to injure the gunner. The Sarpac launcher weighs approximately 1.9 kg empty and was originally meant to be disposable, however tests showed that the improved launcher introduced later could be reloaded for up to 20 firings. And although developed and manufactured in France, the Sarpac was never adopted by the French Army, however it has been exported to a number of countries. The unit cost of the projectile and launcher is reported to be extremely low.
The Sarpac is no longer in production. And today considered obsolete and is no longer in service with Finland or Malaysia.
Note: Empty Launcher Weighs 1.9 kg
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
manufactured recoilless individual anti-antitank/assault rocket weapon.
The Sarpac was developed by the company Hotchkiss-Brandt, and it was primarily designed as an anti-tank weapon, but it is also useful against fortified positions constructed of concrete. The Sarpac comprises a launcher that can fire 68mm anti-tank
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
, dual-purpose anti-armour/personnel or illuminating
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
rocket projectiles. Sarpac is one of the few light antitank rocket launchers offered in the 1960s and 1970s that offered both a high penetration anti-tank round and a general purpose round, which has a smaller HEAT
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
warhead than the anti-tank round, and in addition has two metal fragmentation collars located around the body of the warhead, and while its penetration is not effective against heavily armoured MBTs
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
it does have sufficient penetration to be effective in the light anti-armour, anti-vehicle and anti-personnel and is considered superior for almost all combat firing missions other than antitank and concrete bunkers. And due to the size and weight of general purpose round there is almost double the effective range of the anti-tank round. The launcher consists of two telescoping tube sections with the inner one extending forward, a trigger mechanism, a sighting unit, a folding shoulder support and a strap for carrying. The sighting mechanism while considered unusual is robust and has the shape of a parallelogram
Parallelogram
In Euclidean geometry, a parallelogram is a convex quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides. The opposite or facing sides of a parallelogram are of equal length and the opposite angles of a parallelogram are of equal measure...
when in firing position. On the front of the sight there is both a ranging scale and a grid which enables the operator to fire at moving targets. The projectile is fin stabilized with eight forward folding fins which lock into position after leaving the tube. The rocket motor burns completely before leaving the tube, so as not to injure the gunner. The Sarpac launcher weighs approximately 1.9 kg empty and was originally meant to be disposable, however tests showed that the improved launcher introduced later could be reloaded for up to 20 firings. And although developed and manufactured in France, the Sarpac was never adopted by the French Army, however it has been exported to a number of countries. The unit cost of the projectile and launcher is reported to be extremely low.
The Sarpac is no longer in production. And today considered obsolete and is no longer in service with Finland or Malaysia.
Ammunition
- ROCHAP HEAP - dual purpose round with both an anti-personnel and light anti-armour warhead round, effective range 700 meters, weight 1.8 kg
- ROCHAR HEAT - HEAT round, effective range 200 meters, weight 1.09 kg
- ROCLAIR ILLUM - illumination round, 765 meters, weight 1.3 kg, burn time 30 seconds
Note: Empty Launcher Weighs 1.9 kg