Wasp 58
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wasp 58 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Recoilless rocket launcher |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1987-present |
| Used by | See users |
| Wars | Rwandan Civil War[1] |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Luchaire SA |
| No. built | over 450,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3 kg (6.6 lb) |
| Length | 800 mm (31 in) |
| Crew | 1 |
| Cartridge | HEAT antiarmour warhead |
| Cartridge weight | 615 g (21.7 oz) |
| Caliber | 58 mm (2.3 in) |
| Rate of fire | single-shot |
| Muzzle velocity | 250 m/s (820 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 20–400 m (22–437 yd) |
| External images | |
|---|---|
| Wasp 58 | |
 Soldier shown with first Wasp 58 design | |
| First Wasp 58 launcher design |
The Wasp 58 is a 58-mm rocket launcher antitank weapon developed in France in the late 1980s. The weapon was, originally, privately developed by the French firm Luchaire SA, subsidiary of GIAT.[2]
In the early 1980s, Luchaire's sales department had noted the rising costs of light individual anti-armour/assault weapons were to the point that fewer and fewer could be purchased and that there was a need for a one-man anti-armor/assault weapon which could be purchased for a cost slightly higher than that of a rifle grenade, but with the greater accuracy and ease of use of a one-man rocket launcher[citation needed]
The world export markets was the major considerations behind the development of the Wasp 58 by Luchaire.[3]
The Wasp 58 was first sold in 1987.[3] It has been a commercial success with over 450,000 produced,[4] including licensed production in Greece.
