Saab’s Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon system selected by US Army

Defence and security company Saab’s man-portable weapon system Carl-Gustaf has been chosen by the US Department of the Army to be a programme of record within the US Army. This means that the world leading shoulder-fired weapon system, with a long service record with the US Special Operations Forces, will now become standard issue to the US Army’s Light Infantry units.

The Carl-Gustaf system will provide the US Army with a capability that units using disposable shoulder-fired munitions currently lack. This system has been a key component of the US Special Operations Forces for over 20 years.

As true multi-role, man-portable shoulder-fired weapon, the Carl-Gustaf weapon system is currently in use in more than 40 countries worldwide. The highly modern system has a long and successful history, and it has been continuously modernised to adapt to the users’ ever changing needs.

Anticipating future operational needs, Saab is constantly working to make a great system even better. A new, lighter weight, version of the Carl-Gustaf is currently under development.

Furthermore, advances are also being made to the Carl-Gustaf ammunition family with the recent release of the new 655 CS (Confined Space) high explosive antitank (HEAT) round. This is the first in a new generation of munitions for the CarlGustaf designed to reduce back blast. This will allow soldiers to safely employ the weapon in confined spaces, minimising the hazardous effects of traditional shoulder-fired munitions. SP