APILAS

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

APILAS ready for firing

APILAS (Armor-Piercing Infantry Light Arm System) is a recoilless, one-man portable, single-use anti-tank rocket launcher used by infantry. GIAT Industries of France is the manufacturer. Over 120,000 of the missiles have been produced, and they are in service with Belgium, Chile, Finland, France, Italy, Jordan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Taiwan.

1 Description
2 Specifications
3 See also
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Description

The APILAS is supplied in an aramid fibre launcher tube with a retractable sight. The effective range of APILAS is from 25 m (it takes 25 m for the rocket to arm itself) up to 500 - 600 m depending on the target. The shaped charge warhead is electrically fused and will detonate at impact angles up to 80 degrees.

An off-route mine system was developed using the APILAS rocket mounted on a tripod using a sensor package, or tripwires.

[edit] Specifications

Calibre: 112 mm
Length
- Launcher: 1.26 m
- Projectile: 925 mm
Weight:
- Overall: 9.5 kg
- Projectile: 4.3 kg
- Launcher: 4.7 kg
Range: 25 m to 300 m + (moving target) 500 m + (static target)
Motor: Solid-fuel rocket
Muzzle velocity: 293 m/s
Time of flight to 500 m: 1.9 s
Warhead: 1.5 kg shaped charge capable of penetrating 720 mm RHA or 2 m of concrete.