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Key Points and Summary: The M72 LAW (Light Anti-tank Weapon), a 66mm portable, one-shot anti-armor rocket, has served U.S. forces since the 1960s. Designed to replace the M31 HEAT grenade and M20A1 Super Bazooka, the M72 features a lightweight, easy-to-use design inspired by WWII anti-tank weapons.

-Initially struggling in Vietnam, subsequent upgrades improved its performance, including a penetration of 12 inches of steel. Though replaced by the heavier AT4 in the 1980s, the M72 saw resurgence in Iraq and Afghanistan due to its portability and effectiveness against unarmored targets.

-Innovations like reduced backblast (LAW FFE) ensure the M72 LAW remains relevant in modern combat.

The M72 Law Rocket, A Cold Warrior With a WWII Heart

The M72 LAW (Light Anti-tank Weapon) has known a few different names. It was also called the Light Anti-armor weapon or LAW and the LAWS (Light Anti-armor Weapons System). Whatever its name, the weapon is a portable one-shot throwaway 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon.

In the early 1960s, the M72 LAW was adopted by the US Army and Marine Corps as the primary individual infantry anti-tank weapon. The M72 was developed to replace the M31 HEAT rifle grenade and the M20A1 “Super Bazooka.” It was designed to be lightweight, easy to carry and use, and effective against armored targets.

History of the M72 LAW

The design of the M72 LAW rocket resembles the first hand-held anti-tank weapon, the US M-1 Bazooka. The Germans captured some in North Africa and reverse-engineered them to make the Panzerschreck and the Panzerfaust. 

The Panzerschrek looked remarkably like the M1 Bazooka, but the Germans upgraded it to an 88mm, which was much more powerful and penetrated armor more effectively. However, it was also more unwieldy. The Panzerfaust, on the other hand, was much easier to carry and was developed as a single-shot throwaway anti-armor weapon. However, its range was only 30 meters, requiring the shooter to be close to the target.

The M72 LAW was similar to the Panzerfaust because it was a man-portable, one-shot throwaway weapon. The 66mm launcher tube fired a rocket with an adequate warhead. The range was improved over the original Panzerfaust. 

Armor penetration was 300mm of steel at 170 meters for the original LAW rocket. However, the original LAW rockets tended to explode mid-air before reaching the target.

This unsettling development in Vietnam resulted in those being ineffective the first time the NVA used armor at a Special Forces A-Camp at Lang Vei in 1968. The military made changes to where the LAW could penetrate 375mm of steel at 220 meters. 

M72 Law Firing. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Operation of the M72 and Specs 

The M72 LAW launcher tube is 66mm and comes in two parts with one tube inside of the other, which aids in carrying. The anti-tank rocket resides inside the tubes. Once prepared for firing, the operator extends the tube, with the inner tube extending to the rear. 

Once that is extended and locked, the operator will aim the launcher via pop-up sights once the weapon is extended. The weapon is then armed and fired, ensuring that the backblast area is clear. 

Specs:

Caliber: 66 mm

Length: 30.5 in (unextended), 38.5 in (extended)

Weight: 5.51 lbs

Muzzle velocity: 475 ft/s

Minimum combat range: 10 meters

Maximum range: 1,000 meters

Maximum effective range: 220 meters

Penetration: 12 inches of steel

It is in the service of more than 30 countries.

Replacement and Resurfacement in Afghanistan:

In the early 1980s, Congress mandated that the M136 AT4 replace the M72 LAW. Since the warhead was 84mm, the name AT4 (“Eighty-Four”) is a clever play on words, and AT also stands for Anti-Tank in US parlance. 

However, with a longer tube and heavier (14.8 pounds) weight, the Army decided to go back to M72 LAW rockets in Iraq and Afghanistan. Due to a lack of armor of the Taliban and insurgents in Iraq, the heavier AT4s became less necessary. 

Troops could carry two or three M72s into battle and effectively eliminated houses or strongholds, so the lighter M72s were again pressed into battle. The smaller explosive blast from the M72s also mitigated collateral damage during urban combat missions.

NLAW missile firing. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

NLAW missile firing — a much newer and up-to-date tank-killer missile. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

One development that furthered the life of the M72s was the LAW FFE (M72 Light Assault Weapon Fire from Enclosure munitions). The new system allows the shooters to fire multiple shots daily from inside a room and has less flash and back blast than an M9 pistol. The reduced visibility increases the lethality and safety of troops firing the weapon. 

The M72 LAW is still alive and kicking and will remain in the US inventory for several more years. The Bazooka legacy lives on.

About the Author: 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.