The Miniman (Swedish military designation ''Pansarskott m''/68, abbreviated ''Pskott m/68'') is a disposable single-shot 74-mm unguided
anti-tank
Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...
smooth bore
recoilless weapon
A recoilless rifle, recoilless launcher or recoilless gun, sometimes abbreviated "RR" or "RCL" (for ReCoilLess) is a type of lightweight artillery system or man-portable launcher that is designed to eject some form of countermass such as propel ...
, designed in Sweden by ''Försvarets Fabriksverk'' (FFV) and became operational in 1968.
Description
The Miniman is delivered with the
HEAT
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...
projectile pre-loaded launch tube. In appearance, the Miniman is similar to a single section tube US
M72 LAW
The M72 LAW (light anti-tank weapon, also referred to as the light anti-armor weapon or LAW as well as LAWS: light anti-armor weapons system) is a portable one-shot unguided anti-tank weapon. The solid rocket propulsion unit was developed in th ...
and French
Sarpac of the same era. In 1986 the
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces.
History
Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...
adopted the
FFV AT4, designated the ''Pansarskott m/86'', to replace the Miniman. FFV engineers adopted the rugged but simple firing and safety mechanism of the Miniman for the AT4. The Miniman uses a unique version of the
high-low chamber launch system that results in no recoil.
Moving targets can be attacked at a range of while stationary targets may be engaged out to . The Miniman's HEAT projectile has a copper liner and can penetrate of
rolled homogeneous armour
Rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) is a type of vehicle armour made of a single steel composition hot-rolled to improve its material characteristics, as opposed to layered or cemented armour. Its first common application was in tanks. After World ...
.
[JIW, p. 718.]
Users
Former users
* - known as PAR 70 (''Panzerabwehrrohr 70'').
* - known as 74 KES 68 Miniman (''74 millimetrin kertasinko malli 1968 Miniman'', '74 millimetre disposable recoilless rifle model 1968 Miniman').
* - known as Pskott m/68 (''Pansarskott modell 1968''), replaced by the
m/86.
Reference and notes
* (JIW) Ian Hogg, ''Jane's Infantry Weapons 1984-85'', London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd., 1984.
External links
ordata information on HEAT projectile
Firearms of Sweden
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