Better in all the right ways
The tank killing ability of Saab’s Carl-Gustaf recoilless rifle system just got better. Saab’s new HEAT 758 anti-tank round brings increased effect and greater accuracy, giving armoured vehicle crews little chance of firing back.
Few things in the life of a soldier are more confronting than being within range of an enemy main battle tank. With any one of the armoured platform’s weapons systems capable of ending your life in an instant, adrenaline surges through your system and your whole body can shake. If you are holding an anti-tank weapon in your hands, you know full well that you will have one chance to strike a clean blow before all hell rains down on your position. Saab’s Carl-Gustaf recoilless rifle and its HEAT 751 round have long been a soldier’s best friend in such situations. The Carl-Gustaf system is lightweight and simple to use, while the 751 round has been shown time and again – including in Ukraine – to be capable of destroying modern main battle tanks.
However, even the best battlefield tools can be improved. As tanks evolve to incorporate more advanced explosive reactive armour solutions, customers have requested an anti-tank round with even more destructive power. At the same time, the evolution of digital technologies has opened the way for even simpler targeting and firing chains.
Saab has responded to these influences to produce the HEAT 758 round for the Carl-Gustaf system. The tandem warhead solution is able to penetrate tank armour to a depth of 700 mm – a major step-up from the 500 mm offered by the 751. At the same time, the range of the round is 600 metres – 100 metres more than that offered by the 751 – meaning that troops can place even more distance between themselves and the targeted armoured platform. Significantly, the 758 is also only the second Carl-Gustaf round designed specifically for use with our new Firebolt programmable ammunition system. When used in combination with a Carl-Gustaf M4 fitted with the FCD 558 fire control device, it can be loaded and fired several seconds faster than the legacy system, significantly increasing the chances of mission success.
Designed for use with Firebolt
The simplicity and light weight of the Carl-Gustaf system has made it a favourite among soldiers for nearly 80 years. The current M4 version weighs just seven kilograms, meaning it can be carried all day and easily hauled through windows and ditches. It’s long been said that the system is so simple to use that everyone from a cook to a commander can use it. Gunners can easily fire off a round and rapidly relocate to a new position to avoid return fire.
Now the new 758 round makes the equation even more favourable. Its increased penetration increases the chances of a first-shot kill, particularly when a tank is attacked from the side or rear. And the superior effectiveness does not come at the cost of increased weight compared to the 751. It weighs roughly the same.
Another significant feature is the 758 round’s compatibility with the Firebolt programmable ammunition system. Introduced with the HE 448 round in 2022, Firebolt allows Carl-Gustaf rounds to communicate directly with the weapon and its fire control device. When a round is chambered, it automatically communicates information on what type of munition it is and the temperature of its propellant. This removes the need for the gunner to manually adjust for these variables, saving valuable seconds and reducing the risk of errors. The fire control device is able to make far more subtle adjustments in accordance with the propellant temperature, resulting in greater accuracy. The 758 is only the second new Carl-Gustaf round to be designed specifically for use with Firebolt.
For soldiers in the field, these changes all add up to a huge added advantage. The simpler load-target-fire chain means reduced cognitive load. When shells are exploding and the tank turret is swinging towards them, troops can load and fire more quickly without the need for performing mathematics under stress. Removing that hurdle means there’s far less chance of vertical deviation when a round is fired. The increased likelihood of a one-hit kill also improves survival chances; if a tank is fully destroyed, it has no opportunity to come gunning for the source of the round.
Benefits for ground troops
Ground troops also benefit from the ability to distribute anti-armour capability down to the squad level using HEAT 758 rounds. The system’s simplicity and low training burden make it practical to equip more soldiers and sustain that capability in the field, with resupply readily maintained during operations. This gives gunners the confidence to engage when needed. It also means the rounds can be widely distributed among deployed forces, creating a formidable threat for any tank crew that dares draw near. The value equation when a 758 round destroys a tank is extraordinary: a round that costs just a few thousand dollars is destroying an asset worth maybe USD 5 million. A typical squad deployment of the Carl-Gustaf system might see two soldiers carrying four rounds each, supporting the gunner carrying the rifle itself. That amounts to a lot of mobile fire power.
The HEAT 758 round is not the only new Firebolt round on the way. Saab recently announced plans to provide Firebolt versions of all existing Carl-Gustaf rounds, meaning firing an anti-structure, smoke or illumination round will be just as simple. Taken together, the HEAT 758 and Firebolt system do more than improve performance on paper. They simplify the act of engaging a target, increase the likelihood of a successful first shot and allow small units to apply sustained pressure on armoured threats at the point of contact.
Carl-Gustaf M4
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