The Enduring Appeal of the Carl Gustaf Recoilless Rifle, #CarlGustaf #recoillessrifle #RPG

On March 4th, the Swedish defense company Saab announced signing a contract worth 12.9 billion Swedish Kronor, approximately 1.2 billion USD, with the Polish Ministry of Defense. Poland will be acquiring several thousand Carl Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition. This procurement becomes the mainstay of the Polish Army's ground forces in anti-armor capabilities, replacing the currently deployed RPG-7 rocket launchers and the retired SPG-9 recoilless rifles. It expects deliveries to commence in the second quarter of this year, with completion by 2027.

Various anti-tank missiles, some with fire-and-forget capabilities, are available, but they are expensive and not suitable for widespread deployment. Simple rocket launchers or recoilless rifles remain essential for individual soldiers and squad-sized units, providing temporary heavy firepower.

The Carl Gustaf, an 3.3 inch caliber recoilless rifle produced by Saab in Sweden, has a history spanning over seventy years. It is a lightweight and cost-effective anti-armor weapon, often compared to the Soviet/Russian-made RPG. Most Western countries equip their forces with the Carl Gustaf, while nations in the Soviet/Russian sphere tend to favor the RPG. For its versatility, the Carl Gustaf's ammunition range allows it to serve various roles, and it has seen service in over fifty countries, becoming synonymous with recoilless rifles.

Carl Gustaf has made a notable impact on the Ukrainian battlefield. In May 2022, the latest Russian main battle tank, the T-90M, was swiftly destroyed by Ukrainian forces. Surprisingly, the weapon used to destroy the T-90M wasn't an advanced anti-tank missile like Javelin or NLAW, but the Swedish-made Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle. It brought renewed fame for the rifle.

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