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Mk 153 SMAW
The Mk 153 SMAW (Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon) is a reloadable shoulder-fired rocket launcher designed by McDonnell Douglas and manufactured by Nammo Talley, and used by the United States Marine Corps (and the US Army during Desert Storm). Essentially an enhanced version of the Israel Military Industries B300 launcher, the weapon consists of a reusable launcher unit which incorporates the weapon's sights and trigger, and encased pre-loaded rockets which are inserted into the rear of the launcher unit. A variety of projectiles are available: the Mk 3 Mod 0 high-explosive dual purpose (HEDP), Mk 6 Mod 0 high-explosive anti-armor (HEAA), Mk 80 Mod 0 novel explosive (NE, thermobaric) and Mk 7 Mod 0 practice rocket for training.
The Mod 0 variant mounts a British-designed magazine-fed, primer-actuated semi-automatic spotting rifle on the right-hand side of the launcher assembly. This feeds from 6-round magazines which are included in the end cap of each rocket, firing a special 9mm tracer round, the Mk 217 Mod 0, designed to match the ballistics of the rocket. This consists of a 9mm bullet in a necked-out 7.62mm NATO casing, propelled by a .22 Hornet blank which is placed inside the 7.62mm case. The setting back of the Hornet case inside the parent NATO case is what unlocks the weapon's action: it is an unusual variant of blowback operation. The spotting rifle and launcher use the same trigger: this is mechanically linked to the spotting rifle, and fires the rocket using an electromagnetic link. A switch directly above the pistol grip governs which of the two is fired when the trigger is pulled.
Provision is made to mount an AN/PEQ-2 laser aiming module as an alternative to the spotting rifle. The weapon has open iron sights as standard, and can also mount a Mk 42 Mod 0 day sight or AN/PVS-4 or AN/PVS-17B night sight.
The most current version is the Mk 153 Mod 2, which mounts an electronic Modular Ballistic Sight (MBS) that replaces the spotting rifle, incorporating a ballistic computer, laser rangefinder and thermal sight. Due to the lack of the spotting rifle this variant is much lighter, with the launcher unit weighing 13 pounds with the MBS and just 8.5lb without it. 56 Mod 2s were delivered in 2016, with the entire existing inventory scheduled to be replaced by 2020.
The Mk 153 SMAW and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Mk 153 SMAW
(1984-present (Mod 0), 2016-present (Mod 2))
Type: Rocket launcher
Length: 29.92 in (launcher unit), 54 in (with Mk 3 Mod 0 HEDP rocket loaded)
Weight: 16.92 lbs (Mod 0 launcher unit), 29.34 lbs (Mod 0 with Mk 3 Mod 0 HEDP rocket loaded)
Calibre: 83mm rocket, 9x51mm spotting rifle
Capacity: 1 rocket, 6 9x51mm rounds in detachable box magazine (stored in rocket cap)
Fire modes: Safe / fire (launcher), safe / semi-auto (spotting rifle)
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick-Ass | Stu Riley | Huge Goon | Referred to as "Bazooka"; mock-up | 2010 |
| Kick-Ass | Aaron Johnson | Kick-Ass | Referred to as "Bazooka"; mock-up | 2010 |
| The A-Team | Brian Bloom | Pike | 2010 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Weapons | soldiers | Firepower;archive footage | 2010 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Reality | With ACOG scope, firing HEAA and HEDP rockets | with functional spotting rifle | 2005 | |
| Mercenaries 2: World in Flames | Anti-Tank Launcher | 2008 | ||
| ArmA II | 2009 | |||
| Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising | With AN/PVS-4 Thermal Scope | 2009 | ||
| Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light | "Rocket Launcher" | 2010 | ||
| Battlefield 3 | SMAW | 2011 | ||
| Operation Flashpoint: Red River | 2011 | |||
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | SMAW | Incorrectly shown as disposable | 2011 | |
| Medal of Honor: Warfighter | SMAW | 2012 | ||
| Battlefield 4 | SMAW | 2013 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macross Zero | UN marines | 2002-2004 | |
| Waiting in the Summer | Men in Black | 2012 | |
| Wizard Barristers: Benmashi Cecil | Inspector Quinn Erari | 2014 | |
| Sword Art Online II | Seen on sign | 2014 - ???? |
M141 SMAW-D
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bad Boys II | Antoni Corone | D.E.A. Agent Tony Dodd | 2003 | |
| Cradle 2 the Grave | DMX | Anthony Fait | Used as part of vault-busting rig | 2003 |
| War of the Worlds | U.S. Marine | AN/PVS-4 night-vision scope | 2005 | |
| Skyline | U.S. Marine | 2010 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCIS | "Split Decision" Seen on website | 2003 | ||
| 24 | Cheng's man | 2007 | ||
| Burn Notice | Mercenary | "Loose Ends, Part 1" (S1E11) | 2007 | |
| 24 | Doug Hutchison | Davros | With red dot scope | 2010 |
| Lost | "Cabin Fever"; Seen loaded on helicopter | 2004 - 2010 | ||
| Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | Human resistance fighter |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| America's Army | Bunker Defeat Munition (BDM) | 2002 |
Anime
| Character | Title | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon dealers | Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig | 2004 - 2005 |
B-300
The SMAW is a later variant on the B-300, which was developed in the seventies by IMI.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Delta Force | Chuck Norris | Maj. Scott McCoy | 1986 | |
| The Delta Force | Steve James | Bobby | 1986 |
See Also
- Nordic Ammunition Group - A list of all firearms manufactured by Nammo.
- Israel Military Industries - A list of all firearms manufactured by IMI.