Saab showcases programmable Carl-Gustaf munition
The Carl-Gustaf M4 weighs under 7kg and measures less than 1,000mm, while the M3 weighs 10kg and is 1,065mm long. (Photo: Saab)
Saab has demonstrated the capabilities of its programmable Carl-Gustaf munition paired with a new fire control device.
Saab has showcased its new programmable Carl-Gustaf munition, designated HE 448, during a live-fire demonstration in front of an audience in Karlskoga, Sweden on 3 and 4 May.
A new fire control device, designated FCD 558, was also demonstrated alongside the programmable high explosive round.
The HE 448 programmable round has the ability to communicate with the FCD 558 fire control device via a protocol named Firebolt.
The programmable Carl-Gustaf munition provides the fire control device with the exact information on the round type and propellant temperature and combines this with target distance to determine the best trajectory.
This means that Carl-Gustaf operators will be able to quickly configure a chambered round and so increase their operational effectiveness.
Michael Höglund, head of Saab’s business unit Ground Combat, said: ‘The FCD 558 also gives users a new option for equipping Carl-Gustaf with a more efficient sighting solution than the baseline configuration’.
This demonstration follows Saab’s award of the contract by the Swedish Armed Forces in December 2021.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the Carl-Gustaf M4, the newest generation of the weapon system, has been ordered or procured by at least eight countries, Australia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and USA.
The most recent customer, Lithuania, announced in January 2022 that it had signed a framework agreement with Sweden for the platform.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Land Warfare
-
![US Army’s future autonomous launcher nears next phase with awards expected in August]()
US Army’s future autonomous launcher nears next phase with awards expected in August
The Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML) is the US Army’s main effort to provide an autonomous or optionally crewed missile launcher, with more details revealed at a CSIS webinar discussion this week.
-
![“No single technology is enough”: why an integrated approach to uncrewed warfare is essential]()
“No single technology is enough”: why an integrated approach to uncrewed warfare is essential
In Conversation… Ahmet Akyol, CEO of ASELSAN, talks to Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan about how the rapid evolution of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) is transforming the battlespace, with militaries focused on both deploying these platforms to maximum effect and developing the defensive systems needed to counter them.
-
![Lasers heat up for counter-drone option as DroneLight tackles the big question]()
Lasers heat up for counter-drone option as DroneLight tackles the big question
Using lasers to defeat drones promises to solve the dilemma of using expensive kinetic effects to kill platforms worth a few hundred dollars. While maintaining thermal output to provide the effects can be a technical hurdle, Israel’s Esh-Tech is one company working on a solution.
-
![How Pearson Engineering combines tradition with innovation for the demining mission (Video)]()
How Pearson Engineering combines tradition with innovation for the demining mission (Video)
At Eurosatory 2026, Pearson Engineering's Group CEO Ian Bell talked about the company's role in delivering specialist armoured engineering, route-clearance and demining capabilities to military customers around the world.
-
![France’s artillery rocket competition aims for sovereign solution as contest enters decisive phase]()
France’s artillery rocket competition aims for sovereign solution as contest enters decisive phase
France’s requirement for a replacement MLRS is intended to provide the country with a sovereign capability to bolster the country’s strategic autonomy, with a final platform expected to be in service by 2030.
-
![Raytheon UK team awarded US$2.7 billion British Army training contract]()
Raytheon UK team awarded US$2.7 billion British Army training contract
The British Army’s Collective Training System 15-year contract is planned to provide soldiers with an integrated, digitally enabled system and transform how they train, prepare and adapt for future missions.
