The M202 FLASH ("Flame Assault Shoulder") is an American

rocket launcher A rocket launcher is a weapon that launches an unguided, rocket-propelled projectile. History The earliest rocket launchers documented in imperial China consisted of arrows modified by the attachment of a rocket motor to the shaft a few in ...

manufactured by

Northrop Corporation Northrop Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its 1994 merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, most successfully the B-2 Spiri ...

, designed to replace the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

–vintage

flamethrower A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World ...

s (such as the M1 and the M2) that remained the military's standard

incendiary device Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...

s well into the 1980s. The XM202 prototype launcher was tested in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, as part of the XM191 system.

Description

The M202A1 features four tubes that can load 66 mm incendiary

rocket A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...

s. The M-74 rockets are equipped with M235 warheads, containing approximately 1.34 pounds (610 g) of an incendiary agent. The substance, often mistaken for

napalm Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated al ...

, is in fact TPA (thickened pyrophoric agent). Opened XM202 (M202 FLASH)

TPA is

triethylaluminum Triethylaluminium is one of the simplest examples of an organoaluminium compound. Despite its name it has the formula Al2( C2H5)6 (abbreviated as Al2Et6 or TEA), as it exists as a dimer. This colorless liquid is pyrophoric. It is an industrially ...

(TEA) thickened with

polyisobutylene Polyisobutene (polyisobutylene) is a class of organic polymers prepared by polymerization of isobutene. The polymers often have the formula Me3C H2CMe2sub>nX (Me = CH3, X = H, F). They are typically colorless gummy solids. Polymerization is typ ...

, in the presence of

n-hexane Hexane () is an organic compound, a straight-chain alkane with six carbon atoms and has the molecular formula C6H14. It is a colorless liquid, odorless when pure, and with boiling points approximately . It is widely used as a cheap, relatively ...

, preventing spontaneous combustion after the warhead rupture. TEA, an

organometallic compound Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and so ...

, is

pyrophoric A substance is pyrophoric (from grc-gre, πυροφόρος, , 'fire-bearing') if it ignites spontaneously in air at or below (for gases) or within 5 minutes after coming into contact with air (for liquids and solids). Examples are organolith ...

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, by

thermal radiation Thermal radiation is electromagnetic radiation generated by the thermal motion of particles in matter. Thermal radiation is generated when heat from the movement of charges in the material (electrons and protons in common forms of matter) is ...

alone. A crowd control agent round using CS gas, the XM96, was trialed, but never entered service. XM-74 rockets

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 a

clip Clip or CLIP may refer to: Fasteners * Hair clip, a device used to hold hair together or attaching materials such as caps to the hair * Binder clip, a device used for holding thicker materials (such as large volumes of paper) together ** Bulldog ...

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: *

Bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...

aperture: 50 meters * Window: 125 meters * Weapons position or stationary vehicle: 200 meters * Squad-sized troop formation: 500 meters

History

The United States Army issued M202s as needed, with each rifle company's headquarters being authorized a single launcher, generally issued as one per

rifle platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

. While vastly more lightweight than the

M2 flamethrower The M2 flamethrower was an American, man-portable, backpack flamethrower that was used in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M2 was the successor to the M1 and M1A1 flamethrowers. Although its burn time was around 7 seconds lo ...

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 the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

arsenal. In

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

service, the M202 was issued to dedicated teams of 0351 Assaultman at the battalion level. The Weapons Platoon's assault section contained three squads, each with a launcher team. With the introduction of the SMAW 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 the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...

.Hambling, David (May 15, 2009)
"U.S. Denies Incendiary Weapon Use in Afghanistan"

Wired.com ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fran ...

. Accessed 27 May 2010. XM-191

Operators

Current operators

* **

Republic of Korea Army The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ko, 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國陸軍; RR: ''Daehanminguk Yuk-gun''), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the l ...

* **

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Notes

References

US Army Manual, TC 23-2, 66 mm rocket launcher M202A1, April 1978
* TM 3-1055-456-12 M202A1 Operator's Manual. * : Pyrophoric flame composition

External links

*

at Gary's U.S. Infantry Weapons Reference Guide]
66 mm Incendiary Rocket M74
at Designation Systems
TC 23-2 66 mm Rocket Launcher M202A1
��US Army Manual, April 1978
M202 FLASH grenade launcher / flamethrower
at Modern Firearms
M202 FLASH on Youtube

This Rocket Launcher Was the U.S. Army’s Last Flamethrower
War is Boring {{DEFAULTSORT:M202a1 Flash Cold War rockets of the United States Incendiary weapons Salvo weapons Military equipment introduced in the 1970s