Malaysia has announced a tender for the procurement of 800 units of the M72 LAW-EC, a modern lightweight anti-tank weapon produced by the Norwegian-Finnish company Nammo. This initiative, reported by the defense blog Malaysian Defence, aims to replace the aging RPG-7 systems currently in the inventory of the 10th Para Brigade. The M72 LAW-EC is expected to enhance the operational capabilities of the Malaysian Army’s airborne forces. The tender specifies the weapon’s deployment in a variety of challenging environments, including urban settings and rough terrain, making it ideal for special forces operations. The weapon’s portability and single-use design make it a suitable choice for the quick-strike, high-mobility missions typical of the 10th Para Brigade’s operational profile.
The Malaysian Army’s current arsenal includes other anti-tank systems such as the Carl Gustav 84mm (often nicknamed “Goose”), the Instalaza C90, and the Saab Bofors AT4, which are used primarily by special forces units like the Grup Gerak Khas (GGK). The M72 LAW-EC is expected to complement these systems, offering a versatile option for engaging light armored vehicles, fortified positions, and other hard targets. The procurement of the M72 LAW-EC underscores Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its defense capabilities, ensuring that its forces are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to meet contemporary threats. The tender is scheduled to close at the end of July 2024, with the selection process focusing on the weapon’s performance, ease of use, and suitability for the demanding conditions faced by Malaysia’s airborne and special operations forces.
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 66 mm (2.6 in) unguided anti-tank weapon. American production of the weapon began by Hesse-Eastern in 1963, and was terminated by 1983; currently it is produced by Nammo Raufoss AS in Norway and their subsidiary, Nammo Defense Systems (formerly Nammo Talley Inc.) in Arizona. Transitioning over time through several design iterations, the M72 weapon is locally manufactured in several countries, including Norway – which began licensed manufacture in 1966 for a local defense force requirement; and the United States. Nammo has more than 20 countries buying M72 variants today. This success is the result of several enhancements over the M72’s original 1960s design, including to the launcher, warheads and fuzes.
Nammo supported the recently completed U.S. qualification of a new M72 fire-from-enclosure (FFE) solution, ensuring troops are safe and avoid injury when the M72 is fired from rooms, bunkers or enclosures. This unique variant means that Soldiers and Marines do not have to reveal themselves to combatants when firing the weapon. Nammo’s production of the FFE variants – known as the M72 Anti-Armor (A8) and M72 Anti-Structure Munition (A10) in U.S. military service. The Nammo M72 Enhanced Capacity (EC) combines decades of innovation and Nammo expertise to deliver a world-leading close combat weapon. The system is disposable, easy to operate, extremely lightweight and powerful. The M72 EC can penetrate up to 450 mm RHA. The dual safe fuze and on-axis trigger equip the warfighter with an improved weapon system that is both safe and effective.
