The AG36 is a single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher that operates on the high-low system and was designed primarily for installation on the G36 assault rifle, designed by the German weapons manufacturing

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...

Oberndorf am Neckar Oberndorf am Neckar (; Swabian: ''Oberndorf am Näggô'') is a town in the district of Rottweil, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Neckar, north of Rottweil. It historically was and currently is a major center of ...

. It originally appeared as Heckler & Koch's candidate for the US Army's Enhanced Grenade Launcher requirement, evaluated for use with the

XM8 The Heckler & Koch XM8 is a lightweight assault rifle system developed from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The rifle was designed by German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K), and shares design and engineering with their G36 rifle. ...

and FN SCAR rifles. As is commonly mistaken, the "A" is not an addition to the name "G36", which is short for ''Gewehr 36'', but is in fact an abbreviation of the German ''Anbaugranatwerfer'', literally meaning "attached grenade launcher" and the 36 coming from the name of the primary weapon it was designed to enhance – the G36. It can also be used dismounted, with a stock attached as a stand-alone model, or a

LLM01 The LLM01 (Laser Light Module 01) is an adaptive target acquisition module made by Rheinmetall Soldier Electronics GmbH in Stockach, Germany. It is designed to be mounted with a metal integral quick release clamping adapter on the left side of ...

laser light module can be attached to it.

Design details

As in many modern weapon systems, including the G36 series, extensive use of polymers and high-strength

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

in the AG36 launcher contributes to its low mass and high durability. It is capable of firing almost all 40×46mm grenade rounds, including plastic training cartridges, flexible baton rounds,

CS gas The compound 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (also called ''o''-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile; chemical formula: C10H5ClN2), a cyanocarbon, is the defining component of tear gas commonly referred to as CS gas, which is used as a riot control agen ...

, and oleoresin capsicum (OC, the same chemical used in pepper spray) gas cartridges, white phosphorus, and HE ammunition. With the grenade launcher fitted, when firing 5.56 mm ammunition, the G36 Rifle’s mean point of impact shifts approx. 10 cm downwards at a range of 100 meters. The AG36 is a part of Germany's Infantryman of the future program. The AG36 is a single-shot weapon with a break-action steel barrel and unlike its American counterpart, the

M203 The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil force ...

, the AG36 swings out laterally for loading, allowing for the use of longer rounds when necessary, e.g. baton or flare rounds. When open, the breech is on the left. For installation, the rifle's existing barrel handguard is removed and replaced by the AG36. The weapon has a trigger group with a manual safety lever and a pistol grip for ease of handling. Aiming is accomplished using standard ladder sights, which are located on the left side of the launcher body and folded down when not in use. Due to its modular design, the launcher can be readily adapted to other rifles, such as the

M16 The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...

-series and the Diemaco C7 and C8.

Variants

The L17A1 and L123A2 UGL (Underslung Grenade Launcher) are the under-barrel 40 mm grenade launchers used by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

in conjunction with the L85A2 rifle (L123A2 UGL), and in small numbers with the L119A1 carbine used by United Kingdom Special Forces and the

Pathfinder Platoon The Pathfinder Platoon is a pathfinder unit of the British Army, and an integral part of 16 Air Assault Brigade. The Pathfinder Platoon acts as the brigade's advance force and reconnaissance force. Its role includes locating and marking drop zon ...

(L17A1 UGL). It is designed and built by Heckler & Koch and is a modified variant of the AG36. The UGL was first deployed during Operation Telic in 2003. The UGL replaced the muzzle-launched Rifle Grenade General Service. One UGL is issued per fireteam within infantry

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

s. A further version of the AG36 is the Heckler & Koch AG-C/EGLM.

Users

* * * : Replacing the

Heckler & Koch HK69A1 The HK69A1 is a 40 mm grenade launcher developed and produced by the German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K). The weapon was designed to engage enemy troops and strongpoints out to a distance of 350 m; it can also be used to deploy smoke gr ...

. * Jones, Richard D. ''Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010''. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). . * : Lithuanian Armed Forces. * * * : * : * * Used by Special Forces Command (Turkey) * : L123A2 Variant * * : Designated as

M320 grenade launcher M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is the U.S. military's designation for a new single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher system to replace the M203 for the U.S. Army, while other services initially kept using the older M203. The M320 uses the same ...

* Used by

Kopassus The Kopassus ( id, Komando Pasukan Khusus, Special Forces Command) is an Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) special forces group that conducts special operations missions for the Indonesian government, such as direct action, unconventional warfare, sabot ...

and

Denjaka Denjaka (abbreviation from ''Detasemen Jala Mangkara''; Jala Mangkara Detachment) is a counter-terrorism special operations force of the Indonesian Navy. It is a combined detachment formed from selected personnel of the Navy's frogmen unit ( KOP ...

References

External links

Heckler & Koch – official page

The Infantry's Explosive Punch (Asian Military Review article)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heckler and Koch AG36 40×46mm grenade launchers

AG36 The AG36 is a single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher that operates on the high-low system and was designed primarily for installation on the G36 assault rifle, designed by the German weapons manufacturing company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am N ...

Post–Cold War weapons of Germany

Design details

Variants

Users

See also

References

External links