Carl-Gustaf M4: All you need to know about the recoilless rifle bought for the British Army

The Ministry of Defence has placed a £4.6m order with Saab for delivery of the Carl-Gustaf M4s multi-role weapon system, to replace the Anti-Structure Munitions the UK sent to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion last year.

The Carl-Gustaf Recoilless Rifle, nicknamed the Charlie G by British soldiers, is a powerful and highly portable weapon, designed for dismounted soldiers – a cannon on the shoulder. 

The weapon system is recoilless because, like a bazooka, it has a vent at the back of the tube so the exhaust from its large-calibre explosive ammunition can escape backward.

• UK buys Archer Artillery System from Sweden to replace kit sent to Ukraine
• Russia plans to expand military by 30% due to Finland and Sweden 'threat', MOD says
• Power of a God: Sweden reveals new CV90 mortar variant

It can fire a range of 84mm calibre munitions for various operational objectives and its barrel has spiral grooves, like a rifle, spinning the ammunition for enhanced accuracy.

The Carl-Gustaf was first adopted by the Army towards the end of the 1960s but went out in the 1990s in favour of more advanced systems. It has now become a cost-effective option, however.

Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper at the Royal Armouries Museum, told Forces News: "So we saw in Afghanistan, the American army brought it in, they fleeted it across the whole US army whereas, previously, it was a Special Operations forces-type weapon for blowing up bunkers and things like that.

"They recognised the value of something that's low cost for the launcher, relatively speaking, and very low cost for the munitions."

It is not that it has necessarily somehow leapt back to the forefront of technology, although Mr Ferguson calls some of the rounds "really impressive", but it is the low cost of the rounds fired to achieve the effect needed that makes it an attractive option.

Mr Ferguson added: "In the case of Ukraine, it's essentially a full-on war that's going on and they are using these things against everything from guys behind cover to light armoured vehicles, soft-skinned vehicles and, of course, main battle tanks even."

There are currently more than 40 countries worldwide using various Carl Gustaf variants.