United States – M20 3.5 Inch Rocket Launcher

Last updated on February 17th, 2019 at 09:47 pm

The M20 3.5 inch rocket launcher, also known as the Super Bazooka, was used by the United States Army during the Korean War and at the beginning of the Vietnam War.  It was phased out of service during the Vietnam War when it became obvious that this anti-tank weapon could not cope with newer AFVs.  The M20 was replaced by the M27 LAW.

China’s Type 51 90mm RCL rocket launcher is a copy of the M20 3.5 inch rocket launcher.

The Super Bazooka is made up of two pieces and needs a two-man crew to operate it. One man acts as the loader and the other as the firer.

M20 3.5 inch rocket launcher Super BazookaIt has no moving parts and would not be expected to wear out under normal conditions.  Only extreme damage would put it out of service.

The Super Bazooka fires a 3.5 inch (89mm) rocket that was triggered electronically.

When ready to fire, the launcher is 61inches (1,549mm) long and weighs 12.13 pounds (5.5kg).

The M20 3.5 inch rocket launcher has a maximum range of 1312 yards (1200m), but it is most effective against armor that is no further away than 120 yards (110m). The rocket launches with a muzzle velocity of 321 ft/s (98m/s) and can penetrate 10.5 inches (267mm) of armor.