Engineering:Wasp 58
| Wasp 58 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Recoilless rocket launcher |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1987-present |
| Used by | See users |
| Wars | Rwandan Civil War[1] |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Luchaire SA |
| No. built | over 450,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3 kg (6.6 lb) |
| Length | 800 mm (31 in) |
| Crew | 1 |
| Cartridge | HEAT antiarmour warhead |
| Cartridge weight | 615 g (21.7 oz) |
| Calibre | 58 mm (2.3 in) |
| Rate of fire | single-shot |
| Muzzle velocity | 250 m/s (820 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 20–400 m (22–437 yd) |
| Wasp 58 | |
 Soldier shown with first Wasp 58 design | |
| First Wasp 58 launcher design |
The Wasp 58 is a 58-mm rocket launcher antitank weapon developed in France in the late 1980s. The weapon was, originally, privately developed by the French firm Luchaire SA, subsidiary of GIAT.[2]
History
In the early 1980s, Luchaire's sales department had noted the rising costs of light individual anti-armour/assault weapons were to the point that fewer and fewer could be purchased and that there was a need for a one-man anti-armor/assault weapon which could be purchased for a cost slightly higher than that of a rifle grenade, but with the greater accuracy and ease of use of a one-man rocket launcher[citation needed]
The world export markets was the major considerations behind the development of the Wasp 58 by Luchaire.[3]
Description
The Wasp 58 is a direct-fire weapon used to attack lightly armored vehicles at ranges up to 300 metres.[4] It can also be used against bunkers or as a fire support weapon.[2] The Wasp 58 is a one-man disposable weapon system based on the recoilless principle. On ignition the propellant fires the 58-mm projectile forward while at the same time ejecting a counter mass of plastic chips to the rear to achieve a recoilless effect.[2] The plastic chips due to their size and weight lose any velocity after 1 metre of travel from the back of the launcher. The projectile is stabilized by six fins that unfold and lock into place after leaving the tube.[3]
The designers of the Wasp 58 made it compact and simple to operate with a small launch signature. This enables it to be fired from enclosed spaces, including from small rooms in buildings, and protects the user from having his position revealed.[2] The Wasp 58 is composed of a sealed launch tube manufactured from fibreglass reinforced plastic. The Wasp 58's HEAT antiarmour warhead is 58-mm in diameter and is based on the Grenade à fusil antichar de 58 mm Mle F1 PAB rifle grenade's warhead, also designed and manufactured by Luchaire and in service with the French military and other armies worldwide.[3]
The anti-armour warhead of the Wasp 58 can penetrate 300 mm of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA).[4] While insufficient in penetration for frontal engagements of today's modern main battle tanks, it can engage other armoured targets (wheeled armour vehicles or light tanks) from both frontal and side.[2]
The Wasp 58 requires no annual maintenance or special storage other than that which would be required for other small arms munitions. The Wasp 58 has a hit probability of over 95% when fired against stationary targets (88% against moving targets).[4]
Production
The Wasp 58 was first sold in 1987.[3] It has been a commercial success with over 450,000 produced,[4] including licensed production in Greece. It is in service in France (with the French Commandos de l'Air),[2] Belgium, Denmark , France , Greece and the Netherlands. The Greek Revolutionary Organization 17 November stole a few rockets and used them for terrorist attacks.[3]
Users
Belgium
Denmark
France
Greece
- Revolutionary Organization 17 November
Netherlands
References and notes
- ↑ "Arming Rwanda: The Arms Trade and Human Rights, Abuses in the Rwandan War". Human Rights Watch Arms Project 6 (1): 24. January 1994. https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/RWANDA941.PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lefort-Lavauzelle, Patrice (1996). "Le système d'arme léger antiblindé "Wasp 58"" (in fr). Revue militaire suisse (fr) (141). doi:10.5169/seals-345660. https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=rms-001:1996:141::779#311.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Wasp 58: Single-use anti-tank rocket launcher". http://www.military-today.com/firearms/wasp_58.htm.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Gander, Terry J. (2001). "Giat Industries Wasp light anti-armour weapon system". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2002-2003. pp. 1855–1856. https://archive.org/details/Janes_Infantry_Weapons/page/n1856.
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