Editing NLAW (section)

== Overview ==
In 1997, the British [[Defence Procurement Agency]] (DPA) began issuing [[Invitation to tender|invitations to tender]] for a new [[Man-portable anti-tank systems|man-portable anti-tank weapon]], to replace the obsolescent British [[LAW 80]]s.<ref name= "2008 Project Summary Audit"/> Swedish [[Bofors]] of the Celsius Group (later bought by [[Saab AB]]),<ref name="Saab and Celsius">{{Cite web |title= Saab and Celsius create leading Nordic Defense Company |url= https://www.saab.com/newsroom/press-releases/1999/saab-and-celsius-create-leading-nordic-defense-company |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210614082318/https://www.saab.com/newsroom/press-releases/1999/saab-and-celsius-create-leading-nordic-defense-company |archive-date=14 June 2021 |access-date= 16 April 2022 |publisher=[[Saab AB]] |publication-place= Stockholm, [[Sweden|SE]]}}</ref> American [[Lockheed Martin]], and German [[Dynamit Nobel]] replied with offers; due to the limited spots of the NLAW-trials come January 2001, only the two former were rewarded with Project Definition Phase contracts in 1999. Bofors began development of the so-called MBT LAW the same year.<ref name= "Think Defence"/><ref name= "FMV Aktuellt 2001">{{Cite magazine |last=Norberg |first= Ylva |date= April 2001 |title=Saab Bofors Dynamics siktar på Storbritannien |url=https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/FMV_Aktuellt/FMV2001_04.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220413202316/https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/FMV_Aktuellt/FMV2001_04.pdf |archive-date=13 April 2022 |access-date=13 April 2022 |magazine= FMV Aktuellt |pages= 6–8 |language=sv |trans-title= Saab Bofors Dynamics aims for the United Kingdom |publisher= [[Swedish Defence Materiel Administration|Försvarets materielverk]] |publication-place= [[Stockholm]]}}</ref>

[[File:B Company 2 Battalion the Parachute Regiment MOD 45167478.jpg|thumb|British soldiers firing an NLAW]]
In May 2002,<ref name="Saab May Contract">{{Cite web |title=Saab wins contract in Great Britain worth several billion SEK |url= https://www.saab.com/newsroom/press-releases/2002/saab-wins-contract-in-great-britain-worth-several-billion-sek |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210228185917/https://www.saab.com/newsroom/press-releases/2002/saab-wins-contract-in-great-britain-worth-several-billion-sek |archive-date=28 February 2021 |access-date= 16 April 2022 |publisher=[[Saab AB]] |publication-place= Stockholm, [[Sweden|SE]]}}</ref> [[Saab Bofors Dynamics]]' MBT LAW was selected as winner over [[Matra BAe Dynamics]]' Kestrel (the British derivative of Lockheed Martin's [[FGM-172 SRAW]]) in the NLAW-trials. In June, a [[memorandum of understanding]] (MoU) was signed between the British DPA and the [[Swedish Defence Materiel Administration]] (FMV), who also showed interest in the system.<ref name="Think Defence"/><ref name= "FMV Aktuellt 2001"/> Accordingly, the NLAW-programme became a British–Swedish [[joint venture]] (primarily led by the DPA) assigned to Saab Bofors Dynamics (full development and production).<ref name="2008 Project Summary Audit"/><ref name= "PROTEC 2006">{{Cite magazine |last= Lindström |first= Ulf |date= 15 March 2006 |title= Nytt pansarvärnssystem |url= https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/Protec/Protec01_06.pdf |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210506232936/https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/Protec/Protec01_06.pdf |archive-date= 6 May 2021 |access-date=14 April 2022 |magazine=Protec |page= 30 |language= sv |trans-title=New Anti-tank system |publisher= [[Swedish Defence Materiel Administration|Försvarets materielverk]] |publication-place= [[Stockholm]]}}</ref>

It was developed in Sweden and produced in the United Kingdom, with final assembly done by subcontractor [[Thales Air Defence]]. The contract signed in June 2002, between Saab and the two defence authorities, was worth approximately 4.8 billion [[Swedish krona|SEK]], including development and serial production; Sweden's share in the serial production was estimated at one billion SEK.<ref name= "FMV Aktuellt 2002">{{Cite magazine |last=Böhlin |first= Birgitta |date=2002 |title=FMV tecknar Memorandum of understanding med Storbritannien |trans-title=FMV signs a Memorandum of understanding with the United Kingdom |url= https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/FMV_Aktuellt/FMV2002_03.pdf |url-status=live |magazine= FMV Aktuellt |language=sv |publisher=[[Swedish Defence Materiel Administration|Försvarets materielverk]] |publication-place= [[Stockholm]] |page= 35 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220413214045/https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/FMV_Aktuellt/FMV2002_03.pdf |archive-date=13 April 2022 |access-date=13 April 2022}}</ref>

With the finalising of agreements between Sweden and the United Kingdom in 2003,<ref name= "Försvarsmakten2011"/> the development of the system continued until 2008, when it entered production in the UK.<ref name= "Army Recognition"/> Deliveries of the weapon began in December 2008; it entered the service of the Swedish, Finnish and British armed forces the following year.<ref name= "Defense Update NLAW"/><ref name= "Armed Forces"/> It has been estimated that the UK requirement for the [[British Armed Forces]] was for 14,000 units, or more; it replaced the obsolescent LAW 80 system and the ILAW ([[AT4]] CS) which was used as a substitute until its deployment.<ref name="2008 Project Summary Audit"/><ref name= "Armed Forces"/> In 2005, the Swedish government placed a first order for 2,000 units from Saab.<ref name= "SIPRI"/> Finland has placed three orders between 2007 and 2017, for a total of 3,000 units.<ref name= "SIPRI"/><ref name= "Weaponews">{{Cite web |title= Finland buys an additional party launchers NLAW |url= https://www.weaponews.com/news/17550-finland-buys-an-additional-party-launchers-nlaw.html |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220415235631/https://www.weaponews.com/news/17550-finland-buys-an-additional-party-launchers-nlaw.html |archive-date=15 April 2022 |access-date=16 April 2022 |website=Weaponews}}</ref> This was followed by Luxembourg,<ref name="ASD News">{{Cite news |date=14 June 2010 |title=New Customer Nation for NLAW |url=http://www.asdnews.com/news-28563/new_customer_nation_for_nlaw.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222130946/http://www.asdnews.com/news-28563/new_customer_nation_for_nlaw.htm |archive-date=22 December 2018 |access-date=3 March 2022 |work=ASD News |publisher=ASD Media BV |location=Stockholm, [[Sweden|SE]] |publication-place=Amsterdam, the Netherlands |publication-date=15 June 2010 |agency=[[Saab AB]]}}</ref> Indonesia,<ref name="Indomiliter">{{Cite web |last=Adjie |first=Haryo |date=15 August 2019 |title=Hancurkan Sasaran Eks Panser Saladin, Untuk Pertama Kalinya Saab NLAW TNI AD Diuji Tembak |trans-title=Destroy the Target of Saladin's Ex Panzer, for the first time the Indonesian Army's Saab NLAW is being tested |url=https://www.indomiliter.com/hancurkan-sasaran-eks-panser-saladin-untuk-pertama-kalinya-saab-nlaw-tni-ad-diuji-tembak/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207142807/https://www.indomiliter.com/hancurkan-sasaran-eks-panser-saladin-untuk-pertama-kalinya-saab-nlaw-tni-ad-diuji-tembak/ |archive-date=7 February 2022 |access-date=9 February 2021 |website=Indomiliter |language=id}}</ref> Malaysia,<ref name="Shephard Media Dzirhan">{{Cite news |last=Mahadzir |first=Dzirhan |date=26 July 2018 |title=Malaysia emerges as NLAW customer |url=https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/malaysia-emerges-nlaw-customer/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228093422/https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/malaysia-emerges-nlaw-customer/ |archive-date=28 February 2022 |access-date=15 March 2022 |work=Shephard Media |publisher=Shephard Press |location=Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |publication-place=London, [[United Kingdom|UK]]}}</ref> and Switzerland.<ref name="Defense News">{{Cite news |last=Chuter |first=Andrew |date=28 June 2017 |title=Saab snags $120M Swiss contract for its next-gen anti-tank weapon |url=https://www.defensenews.com/land/2017/06/28/saab-snags-120m-swiss-contract-for-its-next-gen-anti-tank-weapon/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220119172017/https://www.defensenews.com/land/2017/06/28/saab-snags-120m-swiss-contract-for-its-next-gen-anti-tank-weapon/ |archive-date=19 January 2022 |access-date=3 March 2022 |work=[[Defense News]] |publisher=[[Sightline Media Group]] |location=London, [[United Kingdom|UK]] |publication-place=Tysons, Virginia, US}}</ref> As of 16 March 2022, the United Kingdom confirmed that it had delivered more than 4,000 of their NLAWs to the Ukrainian military, to be used against Russia during the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name="GOV UK">{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Ben |date=16 March 2022 |title=Defence Secretary meets NATO Defence Minister in Brussels |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-secretary-meets-nato-defence-minister-in-brussels |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316212233/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-secretary-meets-nato-defence-minister-in-brussels |archive-date=16 March 2022 |access-date=18 March 2022 |publication-place=London, [[United Kingdom|UK]] |agency=[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]}}</ref>

=== Development ===
Research for a new Swedish light [[anti-tank guided missile]] began in the 1990s by the [[Swedish Armed Forces]], for its [[mechanized infantry]] which were lacking both tanks and [[anti-tank warfare]] weapons. Initially, the project focused on creating as simple and cost-effective a system as possible; after some analysis, the need for a man-portable anti-tank weapon with great effectiveness at short to mid-range emerged.<ref name= "Försvarsmakten2011">{{Cite book |title=Skjutreglemente: Pansarvärnsrobot 57 |publisher= [[Swedish Armed Forces]] |publication-place=Stockholm, [[Sweden|SE]] |publication-date= 2011 |page=7 |language= sv |trans-title= Shooting regulation: Anti-tank missile 57 |id=Libris ID: 12279733}}</ref>

In October 1999, the British DPA awarded Bofors (later Saab Bofors Dynamics) with a product definition order to procure a weapon prototype within 22 months, corresponding to the requirements of the British NLAW-programme:<ref name="2008 Project Summary Audit"/> To be able to hit a moving target at {{convert |400|m|ft|abbr= on}} and a stationary target at {{convert|600|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with a maximum weight of {{convert |12.5|kg|abbr= on}};<ref name="FMV Aktuellt 2001"/> some of the requirements later made by the Swedish FMV were a lowered [[backblast area]], a minimum effective range of 20 metres, and an environmental adaptation for international operations.<ref name= "PROTEC 2006"/> Saab Bofors Dynamics, the DPA, and the FMV each paid a third of the assessment-phase cost for the MBT LAW,<ref name="FMV Aktuellt 2001"/> of £18 million.<ref name= "Think Defence"/> The FMV invested additional money during the NLAW-trials, while the DPA ceased further funding until a contract was signed.<ref name= "FMV Aktuellt 2001"/>

The project gained momentum in 2002–2003 after being selected by the British and Swedish defence authorities,<ref name="Think Defence"/><ref name= "Försvarsmakten2011"/> meeting the demanding requirements from both nations.<ref name= "Saab Bofors Dynamics">{{Cite web |title= NLAW: Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon |url= https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/50782943/nlaw-brochure-saab |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220323142333/https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/50782943/nlaw-brochure-saab |archive-date= 23 March 2022 |access-date=22 March 2022 |publisher=[[Saab Bofors Dynamics]] |publication-place= Karlskoga, [[Sweden|SE]] |via= Yumpu}}</ref><ref name= "FMV Aktuellt 2002"/> Both launcher and missile development was done by Saab Bofors Dynamics in [[Eskilstuna]] and [[Karlskoga]], Sweden, using technology derived from earlier Bofors systems; such as the [[RBS 56B BILL 2]] (warhead and guidance) and AT4 CS (confined space capability),<ref name="Saab May Contract"/> as well as some further developments.<ref name= "FMV Aktuellt 2001"/> The United Kingdom and Sweden shared the development costs.<ref name= "PROTEC 2008">{{Cite magazine |last=Af Sandeberg |first=Jane |date= 2008 |title=Koordination med ambitioner |url= https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/Protec/Protec01_08.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210405173032/https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/Protec/Protec01_08.pdf |archive-date=5 April 2021 |access-date=14 April 2022 |magazine= Protec |page= 13 |language=sv |trans-title= Coordination with ambitions |publisher=[[Swedish Defence Materiel Administration|Försvarets materielverk]] |publication-place= [[Stockholm]]}}</ref> Full production and delivery was expected to begin by the end of 2006, with the development phase "nearing its end" in 2005 according to Nick Moore (DPA).<ref name= "PROTEC 2005"/> However, as a result of qualification failures in the tests of November 2006,<ref name= "2008 Project Summary Audit"/> it was delayed until 2008.<ref name= "NLAW Product Update"/><ref name="Armed Forces"/> Due to the similar requirements made by the Swedish and British defence authorities, the weapon comes with only minor differences in appearance.<ref name= "PROTEC 2005">{{Cite magazine |last= Forsberg |first= Magnus |date= May 2005 |title= Två länder ett vapen |url= https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/Protec/Protec03_05.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210405171057/https://www.aef.se/Flygvapnet/Tidskrifter/Protec/Protec03_05.pdf |archive-date=5 April 2021 |access-date=14 April 2022 |magazine=Protec |pages= 18–19 |language=sv |trans-title= Two countries, one weapon |publisher= [[Swedish Defence Materiel Administration|Försvarets materielverk]] |publication-place= [[Stockholm]]}}</ref> It uses a single [[Shaped charge|shaped-charge]] warhead, as opposed to other comparable missiles that have a [[tandem warhead]].<ref name= "Saab NLAW"/>

Saab, who also develops the system software, announced in 2015 that they had been able to optimise the guidance system by fine-tuning its ''predicted line of sight''. An effective range of {{convert |800|m|ft|abbr=on}} and up against stationary targets was demonstrated in April 2014.<ref name= "NLAW Product Update"/><ref name= "Think Defence"/> An effective range of {{convert |600|m|ft|abbr=on}} against moving targets has also been reported.<ref name= "Weaponews"/>

=== Production ===
[[File:NLAW Live Firing 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment 2021.jpg|thumb|left|A member of the UK 2nd Battalion, [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]], firing an NLAW]]
As jobs are often the focus of large material orders, a requirement by the British DPA for signing a contract with the winner was that the production of the system would occur in the United Kingdom. For this reason, Saab Bofors Dynamics contracted UK-based Thales Air Defence ahead of the NLAW-programme—while Lockheed Martin contracted Matra BAe Dynamics. To produce the system, Saab and Thales went on to create Team MBT LAW UK which included 14 subcontractors.<ref name= "FMV Aktuellt 2001"/> As per the agreements signed between the United Kingdom and Sweden in 2002–2003,<ref name="Saab Bofors Dynamics"/> manufacturing occurred mostly in the UK, with final assembly and test done at the Thales Air Defence facilities in [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland.<ref name="Think Defence"/><ref name= "Saab May Contract"/> The weapon went into full production in 2008. The final cost for the MBT LAW contract since the beginning of the NLAW-programme, including the assessment phase, development, and manufacture-license, ended up at approximately £400–437 million.<ref name="Think Defence"/><ref name= "Armed Forces"/>

Team MBT LAW UK, which provided components for the system, included: [[Thales Air Defence]] (final assembly); [[BAE Systems Avionics]] ([[inertial measurement unit]]); NP Aerospace (plastic and composite mouldings); FR-HiTemp ([[Grid fin|control fins]] and [[actuator]]s); [[Raytheon Company|Raytheon Systems]] (electronics assemblies); Skeldings (special purpose springs); Thales Missile Electronics ([[proximity fuze]]); MetalWeb; [[BAE Systems Platforms & Services|BAE Systems RO Defence]]; EPS Logistics Technology; Express Engineering; Portsmouth Aviation; ICI [[Nobel Enterprises]]; [[Leafield Technical Centre|Leafield Engineering]].<ref name= "Think Defence"/> The missile's warhead is made in Switzerland by Saab Bofors Dynamics Switzerland Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web |date= 2022-04-06 |title= Waffenlieferungen an Ukraine – Schweizer Gefechtsköpfe gegen russische Panzer |url= https://www.srf.ch/news/international/waffenlieferungen-an-ukraine-schweizer-gefechtskoepfe-gegen-russische-panzer |access-date= 2022-04-06 | publisher = Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) |language=de}}</ref>

More than 24,200 units have been produced.<ref name="SIPRI"/> Depending on which source, it costs: £20,000 (2008);<ref name= "2008 Project Summary Audit"/> US$30,000 (2022);<ref name="The National"/> US$33,000 (2022);<ref name= "Shephard Media"/> US$40,000 (2022).<ref name= "Jerusalem Post"/> Each unit has a shelf life of around 20 years.<ref name="Saab NLAW"/>

=== Operation ===
{{Multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 230
| image1 = Taistelunäytös NLAW 2 Kokonaisturvallisuus 2015.JPG
| image2 = Taistelunäytös NLAW 3 Kokonaisturvallisuus 2015.JPG
| footer = Finnish soldiers simulate the OTA mode on a BMP-2 in a combat demonstration}}
The NLAW is a man-portable, [[Soft launch (missile)|soft-launch]], and [[Backblast area|confined-spaces]] (saltwater countermass) system,<ref name= "Saab Bofors Dynamics"/> allowing the missile to be fired from almost anywhere; the operator can safely fire through any window of a room no bigger than 4 x 2.5 x 2.5 m (high).<ref name="2008 Project Summary Audit"/> The missile is first shot out of the launcher with a low-powered ignition system, after which its main rocket ignites and propels it to the target. Guidance uses a [[Predicted line of sight|predicted line of sight (PLOS)]] system. For a moving target, the operator maintains tracking for at least 2–3 seconds. The software embedded in the missile's [[Inertial navigation system|INS]] records the operator's aiming movement and extrapolates the flight path needed to intercept the target. After launch, the missile flies autonomously along the pre-programmed flight path, controlled by an [[inertial guidance system]].<ref name= "Army Recognition"/><ref name= "Saab Bofors Dynamics"/><ref name= "Miniaturisation of Infantry Weapons">{{Cite magazine |date= December 2010 |title= Miniaturization of the Infantry Weapons's Components: New Guided Missiles, Programmable Munitions Enhancing The Infantry Precision Fire Effects |url= https://defense-update.com/20101230_infantry_missiles_miniaturization.html |url-status= live |magazine= [[Defense Update]] |publisher= Lance & Shield |publication-place= Kadima, [[Israel|IL]] |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220303151641/https://defense-update.com/20101230_infantry_missiles_miniaturization.html |archive-date= 3 March 2022 |access-date= 3 March 2022}}</ref> The system weighs {{convert |12.5|kg|abbr=on}}, with a rocket weight of {{convert|6.5|kg|abbr=on}}; the mass of the warhead is {{convert|1.8|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref name= "Weaponews"/> It is unnecessary for the operator to consider the target distance (so long as it is within range), or to stay exposed whilst the missile is in the air ([[fire-and-forget]]).<ref name="Forbes">{{Cite web |last=Roblin |first=Sebastien |title=The NLAW Missiles The U.K. Rushed to Ukraine May Only Be Useful in Desperate Circumstances |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2022/01/25/the-uk-airmailed-2000-nlaw-missiles-to-ukraine-are-they-useful/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228081651/https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2022/01/25/the-uk-airmailed-2000-nlaw-missiles-to-ukraine-are-they-useful/ |archive-date=28 February 2022 |access-date=26 February 2022 |website=[[Forbes]] |publication-place=Jersey City, New Jersey, US |issn=0015-6914}}</ref>

Against tanks and other armoured vehicles, the overfly top attack (OTA) mode is used; the missile flies about one metre above the line of sight, detonating the warhead above the target's weaker top armour via [[proximity fuze]] and magnetic sensors. The exact way in which the "combined magnetic and optical sensors" ensure the proper detonation of the warhead is classified. The direct attack (DA) mode is used against non-armoured targets, detonating the warhead on impact via [[contact fuze]] as the missile flies on the line of sight. The launcher can be fired only once and is disposed of after use.<ref name="Saab Bofors Dynamics"/> The operator can adjust the arming distance of the missile, to avoid a premature detonation triggered by the sensors when it flies over non-targets. They can also fire down or up at a 45-degree angle. The method of exploding above the tank by one metre was met with scepticism at the time. Saab had to work hard to show that they could make the system work. Saab NLAW designer Christer Nygren said: “The protection on main battle tanks was increasing all the time...We saw that we needed a new type of attack. But, with the over-the-top attack, you create another technical challenge, which is how to hit vertically down through the roof of the tank when the velocity of the missile is in the forward direction. It’s a tricky thing. Before any contracts were signed we had to present a lot of technical evidence that we could really defeat a tank from the top and get the warhead [to detonate] at the right time.” Saab claims that in 20 years the US designers have not matched the NLAW system's technology. Adding "You give them an hour of training and they can fight the T-90 [the most advanced Russian tank] without a problem.”<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 May 2022 |author=Ed Cumming |title='It warms my heart to see Russian tanks blown up – it means our NLAW was a success' |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/05/20/warms-heart-see-russian-tanks-blown-means-nlaw-success/|access-date=23 March 2023 |website=The Telegraph}}</ref><ref name= "5 facts NLAW">{{Cite web |date=11 June 2018 |title=5 facts about Saab's NLAW anti-tank system |url= https://www.saab.com/newsroom/stories/2018/june/5-facts-about-saabs-nlaw-anti-tank-system |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220412144741/https://www.saab.com/newsroom/stories/2018/june/5-facts-about-saabs-nlaw-anti-tank-system |archive-date=12 April 2022 |access-date=14 April 2022 | publisher =Saab}}</ref> The missile will auto-destruct at the maximum flight time of 5.6 seconds, which is about {{convert |1,000|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It is designed to operate in all climate conditions and environments, from −38 to +63 degrees [[Celsius]].<ref name= "Weaponews"/><ref name= "C4Defence">{{Cite web |date=29 June 2017 |title=New Anti-tank To Switzerland |url= https://www.c4defence.com/en/new-anti-tank-to-switzerland/ |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220414014959/https://www.c4defence.com/en/new-anti-tank-to-switzerland/ |archive-date= 14 April 2022 |access-date=14 April 2022 |website=C4Defence}}</ref>