The latest version of the M3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS), the U.S. Army's version of the Russian RPG, will enter service with light infantry units this fall after two years of testing.

The new version will be known as the M3A1. This weapon is an 84 mm man-portable reusable anti-tank recoilless rifle derived from the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle that entered service with the Swedish Army in 1948. The original Carl Gustaf was produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics.

Like Us on Facebook

The M3A1 consolidates a series of improvements made to the M3 MAAWS. It's 3.4 kg lighter at 6.6 kg than the M3 MAAWS, and its 950 mm overall length is shorter than the older version.

The lighter weight and shorter length allows the new M3A1 to be better used in urban combat. The lighter weight was accomplished by using lighter components, including a carbon fiber tube with a titanium liner.

Other new features in the M3A1 include a red-dot sight; a travel safety catch to allow the weapon to be carried while loaded; Picatinny rails for grips and sight mounts and a remote round management function so intelligent sights can "talk" to programmable rounds.

The M3A1 also has shot counter to keep track of how many rounds have been fired to manage the weapon's 1,000-round barrel life.

The effective range of the M3A1 remains at 1,300 meters, which still outranges the RPG whose effective range is 900 meters.

New and deadlier rounds are also being tested for use in the M3A1. One of these munitions is the Massive Overmatch Assault Round (MOAR), which is a precision guided round that will better allow the M2A1 to destroy enemy targets on the move using advanced seeker technology.

The M3A1 can fire multipurpose rounds that are effective against armored vehicles and "soft targets" such as infantry sheltering behind walls. It fires high-explosive air burst rounds; close combat rounds; and general support rounds like the smoke and battlefield illumination.

Air burst rounds use a programmable fuze to explode in the air at a precise location, thereby maximizing the round's effect against enemy infantry in defilade.  

TagsM3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System, MAAWS, M3A1, Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle, M3 MAAWS, U.S. Army, Massive Overmatch Assault Round