Swedish aerospace and defense firm Saab has announced that it has received an order from the Australian Department of Defence to supply additional Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles.
“The order value is SEK 400 million [$37 million] with deliveries during 2024-2025,” said a statement.
As noted by the company, the Carl-Gustaf M4 weapons will be delivered with Saab’s new Fire Control Device, FCD 558.
“This order continues Saab’s longstanding relationship with the Australian Defence Force. We are proud to deliver modern and user-focused weapon systems that ensures the Australian armed forces’ ability to meet a wide range of challenges on the battlefield,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.
The new M4 variant of the Carl-Gustaf 84mm recoilless rifle weighs 7.4kg and measures 99.9cm long, while being 2.6kg lighter and 6.6mm shorter than the M3 variant it will replace. It features an adjustable shoulder rest and grip, along with a “transport safety” position for the cocking lever. It can by fired via iron, telescopic or thermal sights or alternatively fitted with a high-tech Fire Control System (FCS).
The weapon comes with an interface for programming smart rounds and a built-in counter keeps track of the full-calibre rounds fired through the weapon.