The NLAW, which takes its name from the initials of "Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon",
has turned into one of the most mediatic weapon systems in Ukraine.
Indeed, the combat reports show us that it is a highly successful anti-tank missile system.
But, its hybrid design also caused some debates.
As the Weapons Detective, we are investigating the NLAW and the controversies around this
unique weapon system.
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The NLAW is one of the superstars of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.
In the hands of the Ukrainian troops, this anti-tank weapon has proved its effectiveness
many times.
But also, the experiences that came from these battles inevitably caused some criticism.
Before analysing it, it would be helpful to look at the history and features of the NLAW.
In the late 1990s, the Swedish Bofors company began to work on a new man-portable anti-tank
weapon, initially called MBT-LAW and later NLAW, to replace the old obsolete ones as
the answer to the Swedish Armed Forces' requirement.
Because the previous LAW 80 had unsatisfactory results on the modern main battle tanks with
the explosive reactive armour, the UK was seeking this type of system, in the same years.
The UK instantly showed interest in this new anti-tank weapon and chose the NLAW over the
FGM-172 SRAW in 2002 within the scope of the NLAW SR(L)4098 Programme.
In the same year, Bofors and UK-based Thales Air Defense companies formed a consortium.
Accordingly, the Swedish would be responsible for design and development and the British
for manufacturing.
Both countries would independently have the marketing rights of the NLAW.
After finalising the agreement in 2003, the design and development work progress continued
until 2008.
One year later, the British Army began to take delivery of the NLAW.
The Trijicon ACOG TA41 telescopic scope of the NLAW has the features of x2.5 magnification
and a 20-degree field of view.
The Finnish Patria company developed Senop VV3X night sight for the anti-tank missile
system.
The sight can be fitted on another single-use canister after the launch.
The time between the target detection and launch is about 5 seconds.
Also, the missile can immediately be fired, like an unguided rocket, when an unexpected
target appears.
Before the launch, the gunner has to track the target for 2 to 3 seconds via the sight.
During this time, the NLAW's predicted line of sight, shortly PLOS, guidance system records
the target's vector and computes a possible interception point.
After launch, the missile corrects its flight path autonomously to reach the designated
point.
It gives the NLAW fire-and-forget capability.
The system can be used in an elevation range of ±45 degrees.
Before the launch, the gunner can choose either overfly top attack or direct attack modes.
Like the Swedish RBS 56 Bill 2 anti-tank-missile, the NLAW can fly about one metre above the
line of sight, initiating the warhead above the target's weaker top armour with the help
of magnetic sensors.
In the direct attack mode, the missile flies in the line of sight.
In general use, the overfly top attack mode is preferred for tanks and armoured vehicles,
while the direct attack mode is for other types of targets.
The NLAW has a soft-launch system, which means the gunner can fire it in confined spaces.
The missile leaves the canister at a speed of 40 meters per second and then accelerates
to around 200 meters per second at a safe distance.
The early examples of the NLAW had an effective range of around 400 metres against moving
targets and 600 metres against stationary targets.
Thanks to software improvements, the effective range of the later variants have increased
to 800 meters.
But, the accepted optimum effective range against moving targets is still 400 metres.
The missile can reach this distance in 2 seconds.
The minimum effective range of the NLAW is 20 metres.
After the missile reaches the 1,000-meter distance without finding the target, it activates
the self-destruction mechanism automatically.
The missiles in canisters have a 20-year shelf-life.
Finland, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United
Kingdom are the users of the NLAW.
Some sources claim that Lithuania and Saudi Arabia also have the system.
But, we cannot find any official confirmation for this information.
Sweden and the UK designate the NLAW as Robot 57, shortly RB-57, and K170A2, respectively.
The NLAW has a length of 102 centimetres and a diameter of 150 millimetres, while the diameter
of the missile body is 115 millimetres.
The weight of the complete system is 12.5 kilograms.
Its top speed is 200 metres per second.
The NLAW's effective range is between 20 to 800 metres.
Its high-explosive anti-tank warhead can penetrate over 500-millimetre steel armour.
According to some Ukrainian sources, the NLAW is responsible for a big part of the Russian
Army's ground vehicle losses in the ongoing war.
Some even address that this system has destroyed 30-40 per cent of tanks that Russia has lost.
Before the Russian invasion, the UK had supplied 2,000 NLAWs to Ukraine.
An additional 1,615 were delivered on March 9, 2022.
Also, Luxembourg sent some NLAWs to this country, and on March 24, 2022, London pledged to provide
a further 6,000 systems.
Especially during the Battle of Bucha, the Ukrainian troops many set ambushes on the
Russian Forces by using the NLAWs.
Thus, on March 31, 2022, Ukraine regained control of Bucha, which Russia captured on
March 12.
During the Ukrainian hit-and-run attacks, the NLAW proved its deadly effectiveness repeatedly.
The Russian troops and the separatist forces in Luhansk and Donetsk have also captured
some NLAWs.
But, their experiences are still unknown.
Some sources also claim that also Saudi Arabia is using these anti-tank missiles in Yemen.
But, these claims are officially unconfirmed.
At first glance, the NLAW is one of the heroes of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Yes, one of them.
We should not ignore that the contribution of the FGM-148 Javelin to Russian losses is
higher.
Also, many other Soviet-era shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons have played critical roles
in the Ukrainian resistance.
So, it would be too pretentious to give the academy award for the leading actor to the
NLAW.
There are some debates about the NLAW.
Some experts argue that compared with the Javelin, the short-range and ill-guided NLAW
is an unneeded anti-tank weapon.
And according to them, the almost free of charge RPG-7 is a much more suitable solution
for close-quarter combat.
An assessment always depends on the points of view.
So let's try to look at some of the facts about the NLAW from different angles.
The NLAW is serving alongside with Javelin and RPG-7 in Ukraine.
A Javelin missile without a launching unit is about 175,000 US dollars.
The launch weight of the system is 22.3 kilograms.
After being launched, the Javelin has to climb to an altitude of 60 meters in the direct
attack mode and 150 metres in the overfly top attack mode, which limits the missile's
close-quarter attack capability.
But, the Javelin's maximum effective range is 2,500 to 4,750 metres, depending on the
Command & Launch Unit.
It can penetrate a 750-millimetre armour supported by explosive reactive armour.
An RPG-7 is 500 to 2,000 dollars.
Its unguided rockets are 100 to 500 dollars.
The launching weight of the RPG-7 is 7 kilograms.
It has no overfly top attack capability.
Depending on the rocket type, the system's effective range is between 300 to 700 metres.
Its PG-7VR rocket can penetrate a 600-millimetre armour supported by explosive reactive armour
at close range.
The unit cost of the 12.5-kilogram NLAW is 30,000 to 40,000 dollars.
It is suitable for close-quarter engagements, and its effective range is 800 metres.
The NLAW can penetrate a 500-millimetre armour supported by explosive reactive armour.
So, depending on the point of view, we may say that the NLAW is an anti-tank weapon,
which is less effective but cheaper than the Javelin or more effective but more expensive
than the RPG-7.
Compering with the Javelin, it is useless in long-range.
But, the NLAW is a more effective system in close range.
The unguided and low-cost RPG-7 is highly practical in close-quarter.
But, the NLAW offers higher accuracy.
Actually, all these points of view are valid because the NLAW is designed to replace neither
the Javelin nor RPG-7.
It fulfils the gap between them.
So, NLAW is still a heavy, expensive, and sophisticated anti-tank weapon in the eyes
of an RPG-7 user.
Yet, it is a less effective but lighter and cheaper solution than the Javelin.
In the British Army, the manoeuvre support company of the infantry battalion has an anti-tank
platoon armed with eight Javelin missile launchers.
In other words, the FGM-148 is a battalion-level anti-tank weapon.
But, the NLAW is designed to be used by squad-level units.
So, it is a more practical solution for hit-and-run tactics and urban warfare.
A single soldier can carry and operate it.
In contrast, a standard Javelin team consists of two-person.
It is more beneficial for coordination to have the anti-tank weapon close by the attacking
soldiers with assault rifles during an ambush.
In other words, a long-range missile does not provide a particular advantage in this
type of assault.
The NLAW has a minimum effective range of 20 metres, while the Javelin has 60 metres.
So, it is much more suitable for the suddenly apparent imminent threats in close combat.
In fact, NLAW is nothing more than a classic anti-tank grenade launcher equipped with a
smart sight that can measure the vector and range of the target and meteorological data
and automatically calculate all the necessary corrections of the missile's flight.
Yet, this feature makes the system more effective against moving targets than ordinary RPGs.
Still, if the hostile vehicle unexpectedly changes its direction of movement or stops
after the launch of the missile, the NLAW would probably miss the target.
Throughout history, many failed weapon systems have been developed.
But, there has never been any perfect one.
The so-called best weapon systems always have some shortcomings.
Even the most successful ones can retain this title for a while.
A viewpoint based on the pursuit of a system that will deliver a perfect result in all
types of missions will always lead to misjudgments.
The combat reports from Ukraine show us that the NLAW is highly successful.
But, in its designated mission definition.
It may be more expensive than the RPG-7 but definitely more effective.
Yes, the NLAW is inferior to the Javelin in terms of range, accuracy and armour penetration.
But, it is cheaper and more suitable for ambushes.
The NLAW, Javelin and RPG-7s are anti-tank weapons that overcome the deficiencies of
each other.
So, it would not be surprising to see the NLAW in many other countries' inventories
soon.
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