Description
U.S. Army Technical Manual TM 9-1340-228-10 for 83mm XM141 SMAW-D Rocket and Launcher, November 1997
Item Overview
This U.S. Army technical manual documents the XM141 High Explosive Dual Purpose rocket and launcher, known as SMAW-D. It provides a period reference for the weapon that became known as the M141 Bunker Defeat Munition. This listing is for the technical manual only.
Publication Details
The National Stock Number identifies the rocket-and-launcher assembly covered by the manual, not the publication itself.
- Manual number: TM 9-1340-228-10
- Publication date: November 1997
- Manual type: Operator's manual
- Equipment covered: XM141 High Explosive Dual Purpose rocket and launcher
- System designation: SMAW-D
- Caliber: 83mm
- Equipment NSN: 1340-01-443-5477
- Issuing authority: Department of the Army
Manual Coverage
The “-10” suffix identifies this as an operator-level publication. Its subject is the complete XM141 rocket-and-launcher system as issued to military personnel. For researchers, it records the Army's operator guidance during the weapon's early history and provides a reference for studying period equipment terms and training requirements.
About the XM141 SMAW-D
SMAW-D stands for Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon–Disposable. The system combines an 83mm rocket with a telescoping launcher intended for a single use. HEDP means High Explosive Dual Purpose. The weapon was designed to give infantry a portable means of defeating bunkers, masonry structures, and other fortified positions. Its ammunition shares its heritage with the U.S. Marine Corps' reusable SMAW system, while the disposable launcher forms a separate weapon design.
Weapon-System History
The Army identified a need for improved weapons against fortified positions during Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The Bunker Defeat Munition program addressed that need during the 1990s. It began as an interim solution, but planned follow-on weapons were canceled, extending its role. The XM141 designation on this manual reflects the system's development designation, before it became widely known as the M141.
Publication History
The November 1997 edition dates from the period between the program's development and its later wartime use. It preserves the XM141 name in an Army operator reference, making it useful for tracing changes in military publications as equipment moved into service. Its date also places it before the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq that brought wider attention to the system.
History of Use
By 2004, the Army reported successful use of the Bunker Defeat Munition by coalition forces during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Its role included defeating fortified positions and supporting infantry against protected targets. Official Army photography also documents M141 use by the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan in 2011, showing the system's service well beyond this manual's publication date.
Collector and Research Value
This edition helps document the development of American infantry weapons after the Cold War. Its early XM141 designation offers a useful point of comparison with later M141 publications. It also adds context to studies of military procurement, disposable launchers, and the equipment supplied to individual soldiers.
Condition
This vintage military technical manual may show cover wear, edge wear, folds, yellowing, stains, writing, stamps, punched holes, loose pages, or other signs of age and storage. Printing details and condition may vary between available copies.
Ideal For
Well suited for U.S. Army technical-manual collections, XM141 and M141 research, SMAW-D historical displays, military training archives, and museum exhibits about infantry equipment of the 1990s.
Approx length 6", Approx width 4.5", Approx height .25", Approx weight .5lbs.
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