KARLSKOGA — A new tandem-warhead made by Swedish defense giant Saab for its Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifle is powerful enough “to penetrate any hull of any tank available today,” a senior company official told journalists before the round was demonstrated in a live test-fire here.
Breaking Defense observed different types of ammunition for the M4 fired from various distances at different targets at the Bofors test center last week. The HEAT 758 round was fired from roughly 500 meters that struck the flank of a Russian T-80 main battle tank (MBT). The shaped-charge warhead successfully penetrated the hull just beneath the turret, near the turret ring.
Saab formally unveiled the munition, dubbed HEAT 758, today, in addition to giving new details on the global expansions in the US and India, as well as a new air defense munition.
Saab says the HEAT 758 has a range of 600 meters and can penetrate 700 mm of armor (27.6 inches), even specially designed explosive reactive armor (ERA).
Company officials stressed that ERA armour has become prevalent on modern battlefields, posing a challenge to traditional single-charge warheads. Saab says the new ammunition addresses this with a tandem warhead configuration.
