APILAS -- supposedly short for
Armor PIercing Light Arm
System, but I haven't managed to confirm this -- is a
heavy disposable rocket-propelled grenade (
RPG) launcher
designed specifically for taking out
tanks. While quite powerful and physically
heavy compared to most other
LAWs out there, the APILAS can still
be technically classified as a
light anti-tank weapon, since it weighs
only 9.0 kg and can thus be carried around by
some poor grunt.
Using an APILAS is relatively simple. Start by lying down, the tube of
the APILAS firmly propped up against a log or rock and your shoulder,
your head pressed into the face shield. Ensure there is a bare
minimum of 15 centimeters of clearance between both ends of the APILAS
and the ground.
Sight your target
using the handy included telescopic sighting system (night sight
included!),
preferably 25 to 300 meters away from you (and less than 200 if it's
moving). Make sure there is nothing you do not want to incinerate
for 50 meters behind you. Disengage the safety switch, grip onto
the thing as firmly as you can, and press down the trigger.
Immediately after pulling the trigger, the rocket inside the tube
will explosively ignite and fly towards the target at a speed
of 293 meters per second. As the tube is open at both ends,
the blast is theoretically recoilless, but the 162 dB explosion
will still leave your ears ringing despite the double ear protection
you have hopefully been wearing.
Should there be anything within the path
of the rocket (some 600 meters), the hollowed 112 mm HEAT grenade will
detonate and send a directed stream of shrapnel directly forwards,
burrowing up to 700 mm into heavy armor. If you're lucky, this will
destroy even a modern main battle tank with a single good hit;
now pick up your assault rifle and destroy any infantry trying to
crawl out of the flaming wreckage.
Should you miss, however, you have
approximately 5 seconds to get the hell out of there before you have
one very angry MBT on your ass. Look on the bright side: the APILAS
is disposable, so you don't have to take it back with you.
The APILAS is manufactured by GIAT Industries of France and has been
quite a hit in the anti-tank community, with over 100,000 units
sold. Major customers include France, Italy, Finland and Jordan.
There are several variants of APILAS available, most notably the
ABB "APILAS Bunker Buster" which can punch a hole in up to
two meters of reinforced concrete.