Type Anti-tank weapon Used by See Users | Place of origin West Germany | |
 | ||
Wars Cambodian–Vietnamese War
Croatian War of Independence
Slovenian War of Independence
Cambodian–Thai border stand-off
2013 Lahad Datu standoff Designer Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) Manufacturer Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB)
Pouderies Réunies de Belgique (PRB)
ST Kinetics (STK) | ||
Armbrust (German: Crossbow) is a lightweight unguided anti-tank weapon designed and developed by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm of Germany, who later sold its manufacturing rights to Chartered Industries of Singapore (the predecessor of ST Kinetics).
Contents
Overview
The Armbrust is a recoilless weapon, and is one of the few weapons of this kind that may safely be fired in an enclosed space. The propellant charge is placed between two pistons with the projectile in front of one and a mass of shredded plastic in the rear. Unlike most recoilless weapons, it is a true counter-shot weapon, as the mass of the projectile is equal to the mass of the counterweight and they are ejected from the barrel at the same initial velocity. When the weapon is fired, the propellant expands, pushing the two pistons out. The projectile is forced out of the front and the plastic out of the back. The plastic disperses on leaving the back of the barrel, and is quickly stopped by air resistance. The pistons jam at either end of the barrel, locking the hot gases inside. Its warhead can penetrate up to 300 mm of armoured steel.
Since 2004, Armbrusts are gradually being replaced by the Israeli-German-Singapore co-developed MATADOR.
Combat use
During the Cambodian–Vietnamese War, Armbrust was supplied to the Cambodian Khmer Rouge. It was used in their fight against the Cambodian government, as well as against the invading Vietnamese Army.
Slovenia and Croatia also smuggled in stocks of Armbrust for use by local troops against the Yugoslav People's Army in the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s.