| Launcher, Rocket, 66mm, 4-Tube, M202 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Multishot incendiary rocket launcher |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | SeeOperators |
| Wars | Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | c. 1970 |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Corporation, Electro-Mechanical Division[1] |
| Produced | 1978 |
| Variants | M202, M202A1 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11.5 lb (5.22 kg) empty 26.6 lb (12.07 kg) loaded |
| Length | 27 in (686 mm) closed 34.75 in (883 mm) extended |
| Cartridge | M235 Incendiary TPA |
| Caliber | 2.6 in (66 mm) |
| Action | Single shot (each rocket has its own firing pin) |
| Muzzle velocity | 375 ft/s (114 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | 22 yd (20 m) minimum |
| Maximum firing range | 820 yd (750 m) (area target) 219 yd (200 m) (point target) |
| Feed system | 4 rocket clip[2] |
| Sights | Reflex |
TheM202 FLASH ("Flame Assault Shoulder")[3] is an Americanrocket launcher manufactured byNorthrop Corporation, designed to replace theWorld War II–vintageflamethrowers (such as theM1 and theM2) that remained the military's standardincendiary devices well into the 1980s. The XM202 prototype launcher was tested in theVietnam War, as part of the XM191 system.[4]
The United States Army issued M202s as needed, with each rifle company's headquarters being authorized a single launcher, generally issued as one perrifle platoon. While vastly more lightweight than theM2 flamethrower it replaced, the weapon was still bulky to use and the ammunition suffered from reliability problems. As a result, the weapon had mostly been relegated to storage by the mid-1980s, even though it nominally remains a part of theU.S. Army arsenal.
InUSMC service, the M202 was issued to dedicated teams of0351 Assaultman at the battalion level. The Weapons Platoon's assault section contained three squads, each with a launcher team.[5] With the introduction of theSMAW in the mid 1980s, the M202 was phased out and replaced by SMAW launchers.
The M202A1 has been among weapons listed on the inventory of U.S. units in theWar in Afghanistan.[6][dead link]
The M202A1 features four tubes that can load 66 mmincendiaryrockets.[7] The M-74 rockets are equipped with M235 warheads, containing approximately 1.34 pounds (610 g) of an incendiary agent. The substance, often mistaken fornapalm[citation needed], is in fact TPA (thickened pyrophoric agent).
.png)
TPA istriethylaluminum (TEA) thickened withpolyisobutylene, in the presence ofn-hexane, preventing spontaneous combustion after the warhead rupture. TEA, anorganometallic compound, ispyrophoric and burns spontaneously at temperatures of 1600 °C (2912 °F) when exposed to air. It burns "white hot" because of the aluminum, much hotter than gasoline or napalm. The light and heat emission is very intense and can produce skin burns from some (close) distance without direct contact with the flame, bythermal radiation alone. A crowd control agent round using CS gas, the XM96, was trialed, but never entered service.[citation needed]
The weapon is meant to be fired from the right shoulder, and can be fired from either a standing, crouching, or prone position. It is loaded with aclip which holds a set of four rockets together, which is inserted into the rear of the launcher and can be pushed past the launching position to enable the launcher to be carried while loaded more easily.
The M202A1 was rated as having a 50% chance of hit against the following targets at the noted ranges, assuming all four rockets were fired at the same time:
South Korea
United States