Shoulder - launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon The Shoulder - Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon ( SMAW ) is a shoulder - launched rocket weapon , based on the Israeli B - 300 , with the primary function of being a portable assault weapon ( e . g . bunker buster ) and a secondary anti - armor rocket launcher . It was introduced to the United States armed forces in 1984 . It has a maximum range of against a tank - sized target . It can be used to destroy bunker s and other fortification s during assault operations as well as other designated targets with the dual mode rocket and to destroy main battle tanks with the HEAA rocket . Recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have seen a thermobaric rocket added ( described as NE — " Novel Explosive " ) , which is capable of collapsing a building . Service history . The SMAW system ( launcher , ammunition and logistics support ) was fielded in 1984 as a United States Marine Corps – unique system . The Mod - 0 demonstrated several shortcomings , resulting in a series of modifications in the mid - 2000s . These modifications include a re - sleeving process for bubbled launch tubes , rewriting / drafting operator and technical manuals , and a kit to reduce environmental intrusion into the trigger mechanism . This also includes an optical sight modification to allow the new HEAA rocket to be used effectively against moving armor targets . The U . S . military recently fielded new boresight bracket kits which , when installed , correct the loss of accurate boresight issues between the launch tube and spotting rifle . During Operation Desert Storm 150 launchers and 5 , 000 rockets were deployed by the United States Army . Since then the Army has shown increased interest in the system . Follow - On To SMAW . In 2002 , the Corps began a program to develop a successor to the SMAW system , tentatively titled " Follow - On To SMAW " . The contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin and IMI and thus resulted in the enhanced FGM - 172 SRAW . In combat operations it was ultimately used to augment rather than to replace existing SMAW inventories . SMAW II program . In 2008 a replacement program was again initiated and titled the SMAW II . Developed in tandem with a round capable of being fired from an enclosed area without ill effects on environment and personnel . It weighs a combined ( 11 . 7 pounds for the launcher , 18 pounds for the rocket ) and the contract is worth providing the U . S . Marine Corps is satisfied with testing and follows through with plans to buy 1 , 717 new launchers . SMAW II Serpent . Raytheon under the direction of Nammo - Talley Defense Systems are working in coordination on the SMAW II project to develop the newest launcher . Nammo - Talley Defense Systems is developing the new rounds . The SMAW II launcher is called " Serpent " by the developing companies , and is similar in many respects to the first SMAW launcher , except it replaces the standard SMAW launcher ' s spotting gun with a sophisticated fire control electronics built by Raytheon . The sighting unit is enclosed on the launcher in a unique roll - cage to protect it . From videos the roll - cage also serves as a carry handle . Development teams claim that over - all weight is reduced by four and one half pounds from the older SMAW launcher . The " Serpent " fires the same rounds as the standard SMAW and supports new and improved / enhanced rounds . Raytheon at AUSA 2010 convention stated it would be ready for deployment by 2012 . Design . The Shoulder - launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon has an 83 . 5mm tube and fires rockets . It is a man - portable weapon system consisting of the MK153 launcher , the MK 3 encased HEDP rocket , the MK 6 encased HEAA rocket , and the MK217 spotting rifle cartridge . The launcher consists of a fiberglass launch tube , a 9mm spotting rifle , an electro - mechanical firing mechanism , open battle sights and a mount for the MK42 Day Sight and AN / PVS - 17B night sight s . The SMAW MK153 Mod 0 launcher , based on Israel Military Industries ' B - 300 weapon , consists of the launch tube , the spotting rifle , the firing mechanism and mounting brackets . The launch tube is made of fiberglass - epoxy composite material with a gelcoat on the bore . The spotting rifle , a British design ( derived from the LAW 80 ) , is mounted on the right side of the launch tube . The firing mechanism mechanically fires the spotting rifle and uses a magneto to fire the rocket . The mounting brackets connect the components and provide the means for boresighting the weapon while the encased rockets are loaded at the rear of the launcher . The spotting cartridges are stored in a magazine in the cap of the encased rocket . The 9mm spotting round is ballistically matched to the rocket and serves to increase the gunner ' s first - round hit probability . Each round consists of a special 9mm tracer bullet , crimped into a 7 . 62x51mm NATO casing with a . 22 Hornet blank cartridge for propellant . The system can be used in conjunction with the AN / PEQ - 4 aiming light in place of the spotting rifle . Training is accomplished with the MK7 Mod 0 encased common practice rocket and the MK213 Mod 0 noise cartridge . At 152 . 3 decibel s , the weapon is one of the loudest on the battlefield , second only to a mine - clearing line charge . Like many other rocket weapons , backblast is a significant safety concern . The backblast extends in a 90 - meter , 60° cone to the rear of the weapon . The backblast is lethal out to , and still extremely dangerous to . The resultant shock wave can even cause sympathetic detonation of unsecured ammunition . A newer MK153 Mod 2 variant is currently in development . It features a modular ballistic sight ( MBS ) in place of the 9 mm spotting system . The MBS has a laser range finder and thermal weapon sight to provide a firing solution using a displaced reticle , where crosshairs are adjusted for distance and environmental factors . The MBS is lighter , more reliable , and can be detached from the launcher . While the Mod 0 weighs 16 . 5 lb , the Mod 2 weighs 13 lb with the MBS attached , and 8 . 5 lb with the MBS detached . Other improvements include increased pad size on the forward grip and foldable backup sights . Rockets . The High Explosive , Dual Purpose ( HEDP ) rocket is effective against bunkers , masonry and concrete walls and light armor . Initiated by a crush switch in its nose the HEDP rocket is able to distinguish between hard and soft targets resulting in greater penetration into soft targets for increased damage potential . The HEDP round is capable of penetrating of concrete , of brick or up to of wood - reinforced sandbags . The High Explosive Anti - Armor ( HEAA ) rocket is effective against current tanks without additional armor and utilizes a standoff rod on the detonator , allowing the explosive force to be focused on a small point and for maximum damage against armored targets . The HEAA round is capable of penetrating up to the equivalent of of rolled homogeneous steel . The Novel Explosive ( SMAW - NE ) rocket is effective against caves and bunkers . The SMAW - NE uses a thermobaric warhead which produces an overpressure wave capable of collapsing a lightly constructed building . The Naval Surface Warfare Center teamed with the Marine Corps Systems Command , NSWC Dahlgren and Talley Defense Systems responded to an urgent U . S . Marine Corps need for a shoulder - launched enhanced - blast warhead in 2003 . It was used in combat during both the First and Second offensives in Fallujah 2004 .