Two British soldiers carrying NLAW missiles on a long march. NLAW manufacturer Saab is planning to sell a tranche of the missiles to the French Armed Forces. (Shutterstock/Martin Hibberd)
French Military to Adopt Combat-Proven NLAW Anti-Tank Weapon
France will be the fourth NATO military to operate the Anglo-Swedish NLAW, which has seen extensive and highly effective use in the Ukraine war.
Another NATO nation is now set to adopt Saab’s NLAW (Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapon), where man-portable rocket launchers will be used to equip anti-tank infantry teams. On Tuesday, the French General Directorate of Armaments (Direction Générale de l’Armement) signed a contract with the Swedish defense firm, with deliveries of the NLAWs set to begin later this year and to continue through 2030.
The French military will receive an undisclosed number of NLAW weapons, along with indoor and outdoor trainers. The contract terms will also allow Paris to increase its order in the future.
“NLAW will bring a new level of anti-tank capability that changes the dynamic on the battlefield for the French Army. NLAW provides unmatched effectiveness by giving the individual soldier the ability to stop even the most heavily armoured threat in a few seconds. With a history of delivering both our AT4 and Carl-Gustaf M4 to the French Armed Forces, we look forward to bringing the capabilities of NLAW as well,” Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics, said in Saab’s media release.
The NLAW is currently in the arsenals of three NATO members: Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Finland.
“[The NLAW] provides forces with an exceptional anti-tank capability based on innovative technology, without requiring complex set-up. Its smart guidance system means one soldier can take out any modern main battle tank with a single shot, from inside a building, around a corner, or behind cover,” Saab wrote.
Man-Portable Rocket Launchers Still Critical, Even in Drone War
In the early stages of the war in Ukraine, it wasn’t drones that proved to be the decisive weapon that stopped Russian armored columns. Instead, a variety of Western-made anti-tank weapons allowed decentralized, mobile Ukrainian units to ambush and destroy Russia’s tanks, negating the Kremlin’s numerical tank superiority. These weapons—particularly the US-made FGM-148 Javelin, the Swedish AT4, and the Anglo-Swedish NLAW—halted the initial advance on Kyiv.
Designed for close-range and urban combat, the NLAW was seen as arguably the most effective, as it featured an overflight top-attack mode, which allowed it to destroy Russian tanks even when the vehicles were partially behind cover.
Even as drones continue to be the most significant game-changer on the modern battlefield, the role of the man-portable NLAW can’t be overstated. The weapon remains essential for close-quarters urban combat, infantry support, and in neutralizing armored targets on the frontlines.
“Demand is increasing for anti-tank systems such as NLAW. We look forward to further strengthening our close relationship with the UK, and we are proud to continue delivering our proven and trusted anti-tank capability,” Saab’s President and CEO Micael Johansson said in 2023, after the UK also increased its order for the anti-tank weapons.
The NLAW Missile Launcher’s Specifications
- Weight: 12.5 kg (28 lbs) total system
- Length: 1.016 m (40 inches)
- Effective Range: 20 m to 800 m (65 ft to 2,625 ft) against stationary or moving targets
- Guidance: Predicted Line of Sight (PLOS)
- Attack Modes: Overfly Top Attack (OTA) and Direct Attack (DA)
- Warhead: 150mm diameter High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT); penetrates over 500 mm of armor
The UK has supplied more than 5,500 NLAWs to Ukraine throughout the war, where they have been a critical component of Kyiv’s defensive operations. The NLAW is effective against a variety of targets, including fortified structures, ground armored vehicles, and even low-flying helicopters. As the NLAW has a shorter range than its American Javelin counterpart, its attributes dictate use in certain conditions, but in close-in urban fighting the Saab anti-tank weapon remains one of the most effective man-portable anti-tank launchers in service today.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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