Raytheon Company and Swedish aerospace and defense firm Saab are demonstrating a new guided munition for the Carl-Gustaf man-portable, shoulder-launched weapon system under a U.S. Army contract. There will be three all-up-round test firings against threat-representative targets. This new munition answers a U.S. Special Operations Command requirement to increase the capability of the multirole Carl-Gustaf weapon system built by Saab.

The Carl-Gustaf weapon system is used by the U.S. Army and ground forces of more than 40 other countries and has been modernized to meet the changing needs of soldiers operating in the world's most demanding combat environments.

"The Carl-Gustaf system paired with this new guided munition gives U.S. and coalition dismounted forces a tremendous advantage on the battlefield," said Kim Ernzen, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. "The munition is intended to enable ground troops to engage multiple targets precisely at distances up to 2,000 meters, including moving targets."

The munition's advanced warhead penetrates light armor, bunkers and concrete structures while minimizing collateral damage. With increased range, the new munition offers greater protection for ground troops by enabling them to fire at targets from inside structures.

In 2017, Raytheon announced its partnership with Saab to develop new weapons for infantry forces.

"Collaborating with Raytheon, utilizing their technical and product excellence in combination with our innovative technology solutions, will enhance the already world-leading Carl-Gustaf and AT4 weapon systems with additional capabilities that will further increase the operational benefit for the end user," said Görgen Johansson, who leads Saab's Dynamics business.

Raytheon and Saab will oversee test firing of the guided Carl-Gustaf munition planned for 2020 in Sweden.

Source: prnewswire.com