G4H-DuSH Rocket Launcher

The G4H Destructive-use, Shoulder Held Rocket Launcher (G4H DuSH) is a shoulder fired 70/115mm rocket launcher used developed by for use by the UNSC. Primarily used by light infantry and special forces unlike the more ubiquitous M41 SPNKR, the G4H has proven to be a highly liked and effective launcher. Nicknames for the G4H include, GAH DuSH, GiGi, Destroyah, Butt Scratcher, and Drillbit among others. 
Developed from the successful G4-series of rocket launchers used by the CMA, the G4H was developed upon demands from UNSC forces tasked with operations on hostile or contested worlds which required a lighter and less cumbersome alternative to the M41 SPNKR. Where the M41 allows multiple shots and versatile tracking, the G4H provides a larger and more effective projectile with a longer maximum range when using its laser guidance module. 
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==Development History==
===G4 Series Rocket Launchers===
The origins of the G4 series are far before the Human-Covenant War and Insurrection and started with the G4, later G4A, and G4B which were a pair of launchers developed for the CMA. The G4A was an unguided launcher which used a reusable tube and could field a variety of warheads of varying sizes and payloads thanks to its front exposed rocket. The G4B used the same tube but instead fielded an anti-aircraft targeting system and a smaller diameter rocket with an active guidance head for shooting down pirate or hijacked vessels. 
Both weapons were highly successful in the CMA with the G4B even garnering interest from the UNSC and seeing very limited adoption in certain colonial air defense units. The later G4s, C/D and E/F were further refinements of the original A and B with the two eventually becoming bespoke launchers with none of their original commonality or shared parts which led to complications in construction and operation.
The proposed successor to both was the G4G in the 2490s which sought to reconcile both weapons capabilities into a singular modular platform not unlike the M41 SPNKR adopted by the UNSC. The G4G included an advanced targeting system with both day-night optics and an onboard optronics suite for engaging aircraft. The weapon encompassed both roles of its predecessors and used its exposed front design to fit a variety of ground to ground and ground to air munitions.
The G4G was welcomed as an exceptionally advanced launcher to match or surpass its predecessors and the venerable M41 but the rise of the Insurrection and subsequent collapse of the CMA saw the few thousand made fall primarily into UNSC hands as well as some Insurrectionists. Similarly, earlier G4 series weapons would find there way from old and decommissioned stockpiles into colonial militias and Insurrectionists alike, making them a common sight at the height of Operation TREBUCHET. 
While earlier model weapons were niche and difficult to maintain, the G4G was a very competent and effective design even to the UNSC and their beloved M41. G4Gs were issued in the small numbers available to frontline forces where they could make use of captured ammo stockpiles. Additionally, many units would capture and retain G4Gs as the Insurrection drove on.
===Development of G4H===
The origins of the G4H came after the start of the Human-Covenant War. The M41 SPNKR was the workhorse all-purpose rocket launcher of the UNSC with its dual 102mm rounds and advanced tracking systems allowing it to engage ground and air targets with equal lethality and accuracy. Despite its success however, not all units held as high praise of the weapon, particularly those tasked with deep deployments in contested or hostile territory. This was most prevalent in the mid-late 2530s with UNSC Army Rangers and Marine Force Recon units deployed on glassed or embattled worlds and having limited space for ammo and weapons which is where the size and cumbersome nature of the SPNKR would show through sharply. 
Rather than seeking any new or complicated weapons development project when so many worlds were being lost, the UNSC Ordnance Commission instead called upon manufacturers to rework existing products. There were several submissions including a pair from Misriah Armory based on the M41 but it was the G4H proposed by . The development of the G4H was headed by Chief Engineer Waqas Ishfaq who was himself previously employed as an intern at Vakara in the late 2490s. Now as Chief Engineer of the same department, Ishfaq consulted many of the original designs of the G4-series and modern technologies made accessible since working for the UNSC. The result of these endeavors came in three major ways, the usage of modern alloys, testing and adapting many existing UNSC heavy weapons optics, and leveraging UNSC developments in chemical weapons to develop new and significantly more effective ammunition. The result of this was the G4H exceeding expectations in the fields of anti-tank ability, portability, and deployment time which would eventually carry it to victory despite significant lobbying from Misriah for retests. 
Compared to its predecessors, the G4H emphasized the use of lightweight titanium alloys and composites in its construction to reduce weight and increase durability. Also, it still retained the frontally exposed rocket design which made it backwards compatible with many previous G4 series rockets. Instead of a bespoke optics system, the G4H had a MILSTD rail system allowing for any existing or future UNSC rocket launcher optics to be fitted without issue. The final version, due to endorsements, would be able to deploy with a bespoke targeting system that mated an advanced high-magnification, day-night optic with an eye-safe laser guidance system allowing for accurate engagements out to 1.5-2.5km. The end product was a rapidly deployable and extremely effective anti-armor, anti-fortification, and anti-soft target launcher with a high degree of portability and easier ammo carrying. Despite this however, the advantages offered by the M41 SPNKR in terms of engaging aircraft, engaging multiple targets, and having a faster reload would see it continue in its role as the de facto rocket launcher of the UNSC at large while the G4H resided primarily within light infantry and special operations units. 
==Design Specifications==
===Launch Tube===
The tube of the G4H is broadly similar to its predecessors but has taken advantage of technological advancements to reduce both weight and size while matching if not improving performance. The main launch tube is made of titanium composite alloys with a chrome barrel lining to increase service life. Unlike previous G4-series launchers, the main tube of the G4H includes a corrugated surface on the scope side of the launcher which is lined with a no-slip material to make the weapon easier to manipulate and reload in adverse conditions. Additionally, the G4H includes an external metal frame to protect the tube if dropped; in the field this frame has also been used as a frame to attach camouflage netting and foliage for ambushes. 
The rear of the launch tube is dominated by the backblast chamber where exhaust gases from the rockets are forced into and then dispersed efficiently thanks to the pronounced flared lip at the end. This allows the launcher to have minimal forward exhaust gas release which makes follow-up shots easier and prevents the position of the shooter being too obvious. For operations in confined spaces, soldiers have been observed using crude metal pipes and affixing them to the rear of the weapon to redirect exhaust to the side and away from the shooter. Officially this is not endorsed by which has stated on multiple occasions that doing so could cause a pressure build up leading to severe damage to the tube. 
===Optics & Targeting System=== 
===Ammunition===
The ammunition the G4H fielded were also developments from its predecessors and were 70mm internal and 115mm external in diameter. While the launcher could use legacy 70/95-107mm rockets, it also had two bespoke rockets developed. The M478A which is a tandem-HEAT round with over 1000mm of penetration against armored targets and the M478T which is a Thermobaric warhead for destroying structures, infantry, and light armored targets. 
Both versions would seen extensive use with the M478T becoming a favorite to cut through large forces of infantry and the M478A being remarkably effective against unshielded targets as large as heavy dropships. 
==Notes==