The Wasp 58 is a 58-mm rocket launcher antitank weapon developed in France in the late 1980s. The weapon was, originally, privately developed by the French firm Luchaire SA, subsidiary of GIAT.[2]

Wasp 58
TypeRecoilless rocket launcher
Place of originFrance
Service history
In service1987-present
Used bySee users
WarsRwandan Civil War[1]
Production history
ManufacturerLuchaire SA
No. builtover 450,000
Specifications
Mass3 kg (6.6 lb)
Length800 mm (31 in)
Crew1

CartridgeHEAT antiarmour warhead
Cartridge weight615 g (21.7 oz)
Caliber58 mm (2.3 in)
Rate of firesingle-shot
Muzzle velocity250 m/s (820 ft/s)
Effective firing range20–400 m (22–437 yd)
External images
Wasp 58
image icon Soldier shown with first Wasp 58 design
image icon First Wasp 58 launcher design

History

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In the early 1980s, Luchaire's sales department had noted the rising costs of light individual anti-armour/assault weapons were to the point that fewer and fewer could be purchased and that there was a need for a one-man anti-armor/assault weapon which could be purchased for a cost slightly higher than that of a rifle grenade, but with the greater accuracy and ease of use of a one-man rocket launcher[citation needed]

The world export markets was the major considerations behind the development of the Wasp 58 by Luchaire.[3]

Description

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The Wasp 58 is a direct-fire weapon used to attack lightly armored vehicles at ranges up to 300 metres.[4] It can also be used against bunkers or as a fire support weapon.[2] The Wasp 58 is a one-man disposable weapon system based on the recoilless principle. On ignition the propellant fires the 58-mm projectile forward while at the same time ejecting a counter mass of plastic chips to the rear to achieve a recoilless effect.[2] The plastic chips due to their size and weight lose any velocity after 1 metre of travel from the back of the launcher. The projectile is stabilized by six fins that unfold and lock into place after leaving the tube.[3]

The designers of the Wasp 58 made it compact and simple to operate with a small launch signature. This enables it to be fired from enclosed spaces, including from small rooms in buildings, and protects the user from having his position revealed.[2] The Wasp 58 is composed of a sealed launch tube manufactured from fibreglass reinforced plastic. The Wasp 58's HEAT antiarmour warhead is 58-mm in diameter and is based on the Grenade à fusil antichar de 58 mm Mle F1 PAB rifle grenade's warhead, also designed and manufactured by Luchaire and in service with the French military and other armies worldwide.[3]

The anti-armour warhead of the Wasp 58 can penetrate 300 mm of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA).[4] While insufficient in penetration for frontal engagements of today's modern main battle tanks, it can engage other armoured targets (wheeled armour vehicles or light tanks) from both frontal and side.[2]

The Wasp 58 requires no annual maintenance or special storage other than that which would be required for other small arms munitions. The Wasp 58 has a hit probability of over 95% when fired against stationary targets (88% against moving targets).[4]

Production

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The Wasp 58 was first sold in 1987.[3] It has been a commercial success with over 450,000 produced,[4] including licensed production in Greece. It is in service in France (with the French Commandos de l'Air),[2] Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece and the Netherlands. The Greek Revolutionary Organization 17 November stole a few rockets and used them for terrorist attacks.[3]

Users

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References and notes

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  1. ^ "Arming Rwanda: The Arms Trade and Human Rights, Abuses in the Rwandan War" (PDF). Human Rights Watch Arms Project. Vol. 6, no. 1. January 1994. p. 24.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lefort-Lavauzelle, Patrice (1996). "Le système d'arme léger antiblindé "Wasp 58"". Revue militaire suisse [fr] (in French) (141). doi:10.5169/seals-345660.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Wasp 58: Single-use anti-tank rocket launcher". military-today.com.
  4. ^ a b c d Gander, Terry J. (2001). "Giat Industries Wasp light anti-armour weapon system". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2002-2003. pp. 1855–1856.