B-300

B-300
TypeAnti-tank
Place of originIsrael
Service history
Used bySee Operators
WarsLebanese Civil War
First and Second Intifada
2006 Lebanon War
Gaza War
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
Production history
DesignerIsrael Military Industries
Designed1970s
ManufacturerIsrael Military Industries
Produced1980s–present
Specifications
Mass3.65 kg (8.0 lb) empty
8 kg (18 lb) loaded [citation needed]
Length1,440 mm (57 in)
Crew1
Caliber82 mm (3.2 in)
Rate of fire3 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity280 m/s (920 ft/s)[1]
Maximum firing range400 m (1,300 ft)
SightsIron, telescopic, night vision

The B-300 is a reusable man-portable anti-tank weapon system developed by Israel Military Industries in the late 1970s for use by the Israel Defense Forces. The B-300 can be carried and operated by a single operator and is effective to approximately 400 meters (1,312 ft).[2] Pre-packaged munitions and simple operating mechanisms make the weapon quite versatile, permitting use by airborne, motorized, and ground troops alike. When defence publications first heard reports of the B-300 in the early 1980s, various reports stated in error that it was an improved Israeli manufactured version of the Russian RPG-7.[3]

Usage

Munitions used by the B-300 are propelled by a solid rocket motor, and can be equipped with one of two warhead variants. The first, high-explosive anti-tank round, provides specialized support for anti-tank missions. The second, known as a high-explosive follow-through round, is designed for use against fortified targets or enemy units behind cover. A primary charge punches a hole through the protective structure, allowing a secondary anti-personnel charge to pass through and detonate within the building. The B-300 was produced during the 1980s and entered service in limited quantities within Israeli Defence Forces SF units.

Further development

SMAW

The Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) is a shoulder-launched rocket weapon, designed by McDonnell Douglas, with the primary function of being a portable anti-armor rocket launcher. It entered service in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1984. It has a maximum range of 500 m against a tank-sized target.

Shipon

IMI Shipon with its rockets

During the late 1990s, IMI introduced the Shipon, an advanced disposable multi-purpose shoulder-launched rocket system consisting of a launch tube and FCS module.[4] The Shipon includes an advanced fire-control system, helping to aim and increasing effective range to 600 meters.[5] The Shipon fires two types of rockets: HEAA Tandem, which penetrates 800 mm of steel armor after explosive reactive armor, and a bunker-buster rocket. The Shipon is in service within Israeli Special Forces units in the IDF and the YAMAM (the elite police counter-terror unit).

Operators

Map with B-300 operators in blue

Current operators

See also

References

  1. ^ Jane's Infantry Weapons 1984–85
  2. ^ "IMI B-300 light anti-armour weapon". Jane's Information Group. 2007-06-26. Archived from the original on 2019-12-14. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  3. ^ "International Defense Digest". International Defense Review. No.11/1982. page 1495.ISSN 0020-6512 (SZ).
  4. ^ "Shipon Ffe". Archived from the original on 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  5. ^ "SHIPON Anti-Tank Weapon". Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  6. ^ "Granaadiheitja B-300". sodur.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
  7. ^ Doodnath, Alina (July 27, 2018). "Alfonso on possible future terror attacks: Let them try". Looptt.