Infantry weapons / Rocket launchers / LRAC
LRAC
General Facts
- TYPE
Rocket launcher - ORIGIN
France - NICKNAMES
Lance-Roquettes AntiChar de 89 mm modèle F1 (official designation)
LRAC 89 F1 (official abbreviation)
STRIM (early designation) - DESIGNED
1964 - early 1970's - DESIGNER
Societe Techique de Recherches Industrielles et Mechanique - PRODUCTION
1970's to 1990's - PRODUCERS France - Giat
- QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Reusable launcher
Variety of warheads available
Heavy
Mediocre armor penetration
Introduction
The LRAC is a Cold War era rocket launcher of French origin. It was developed in the late 1970's to replace the M20 Super Bazooka. The LRAC is a one man system that is reusable and can fire a variety of warheads.
Design
The LRAC features a relatively short metal launch tube with shoulder rest, pistol grip and forward grip. Either a day sight or passive night sight can be fitted. The dual role transport and launch container is inserted at the rear. The rockets are fin stabilized and fired from their transport container.
Firepower
The LRAC is able to fire a variety of rockets. The HEAT round is able to penetrate about 420mm RHA. The effective range is about 300 to 500 meters, although rockets may travel up to 2.3 km. The maximum rate of fire is 3 to 4 rounds per minute.
Users
The LRAC was the standard rocket launcher in French service. It was replaced in French service in the 90's by the AT4-CS and Eryx. The LRAC was widely exported, mostly to nations with good ties to France.
LRAC launcher
The LRAC launcher is a reusable launcher for a variety of 89mm rounds. The launcher features a detachable sight unit with optional passive night sight. There are no variants in launcher design.
- Specifications:
- LRAC
| Type | Rocket launcher |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
| Caliber | 89 mm |
| Length | 1.168 mm |
| Width | ? |
| Height | ? |
|---|---|
| Weight | 5.5 kg with sight, 8.2 kg loaded |
| Sights | Optical sight, optional night vision sight |
| Ammunition | Various warheads |
| Guidance | None, free flight |
| Velocity | About 300 m/s |
|---|---|
| Range | 300 to 500 m |
| Penetration | Depends on warhead, up to 420 mm RHA available |
| Remarks | Reusable launcher |
LRAC ammunition
HEAT: Standard anti-armor round with shaped charge warhead. Penetrates 400mm RHA or one meter of concrete.
MP: Multi purpose round with 1.600 steel balls and smaller shaped charge warhead. Lethal radius of 20 meters and 100mm RHA penetration.
SMOKE: Smoke round producing smoke for about 35 seconds.
ILLUM: Illuminating round that produces 300.000 canela for 30 seconds.
Media
