Bogor N-Law Anti Tank Weapon
The NLAW, or Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon, is a shoulder-fired, disposable missile system developed to provide infantry with a powerful yet compact means of defeating modern armored threats. It was designed by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden in collaboration with the United Kingdom, with final assembly and some production handled by Thales Air Defence in Northern Ireland. The weapon was created to meet the needs of both countries for a lightweight, easy-to-use anti-tank system that could be effective against contemporary main battle tanks, particularly in urban and close-combat environments.
Weighing approximately 12.5 kilograms and measuring just over one meter in length, NLAW is designed to be carried and operated by a single soldier. One of its key features is its soft-launch capability, which allows it to be safely fired from enclosed spaces like buildings or bunkers—a crucial advantage in urban warfare. This feature significantly reduces the backblast and enables troops to engage targets while remaining concealed and protected.
NLAW is equipped with a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead capable of penetrating more than 500 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armor. It uses a Predicted Line Of Sight (PLOS) guidance system that allows the operator to simply track the target for a few seconds before firing. The system then calculates the target's movement and guides the missile autonomously, enabling a fire-and-forget capability. This makes it highly effective even in dynamic combat situations, allowing soldiers to quickly change position after firing and avoid return fire.
The missile system offers two modes of attack: Direct Attack, which is used against soft targets and lightly armored vehicles, and Overfly Top Attack, designed to defeat main battle tanks by detonating above their more vulnerable top armor. This dual-mode flexibility increases the weapon’s utility across a variety of battlefield scenarios.
In terms of range, NLAW is effective between 20 and 800 meters, with a maximum range of around 1,000 meters under optimal conditions. It is particularly effective against moving targets up to about 600 meters. Its ease of use and minimal training requirements have made it a popular choice for both professional and conscripted soldiers.
Since its introduction in the late 2000s, NLAW has been adopted by several nations including Sweden, the United Kingdom, Finland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine. Its performance in combat has been notable, particularly during the conflict in Ukraine, where it was used with great success against armored formations. The system’s lightweight design, accuracy, and fire-and-forget capability allowed Ukrainian forces to inflict significant damage on enemy armor, often from concealed or fortified positions.
NLAW’s compact size, smart guidance, and powerful warhead make it one of the most effective infantry-operated anti-tank weapons in use today. It is particularly valued for its ease of use, reliability in real-world combat, and its ability to level the playing field against heavily armored threats.
