OVERVIEW: The NLAW is a short-range, fire-and-forget, man-portable anti-tank missile system designed to defeat modern main battle tanks in close combat. It uses PLOS (Predicted Line of Sight) guidance and an overfly top attack (OTA) mode with a 1.5 kg tandem HEAT warhead.

DETAILS: The NLAW is a shoulder-fired disposable anti-armor weapon developed jointly by Sweden (Saab Bofors Dynamics) and the United Kingdom for infantry use against heavily armored targets. It fires a single guided missile with soft-launch capability, making it safe for confined-space use. The system uses an inertial navigation unit to track the operator’s aim point for a few seconds before launch and then calculates the predicted flight path to engage the target. The missile flies above the target and detonates its downward-facing HEAT charge precisely over the tank’s turret.

NLAW's OTA mode allows it to strike the vulnerable top armor of tanks, while a direct attack mode is available for engaging soft targets or fortifications. Its effective range is 20 to 600 meters (up to 800 meters for stationary targets), with a flight time of less than 2 seconds at maximum range.

It is operated by a single soldier, requiring minimal training, and is preloaded in a disposable launch tube. The system is aimed manually, with the PLOS guidance activated by tracking the target for 2–3 seconds before firing.

NOTE:
IOC: 2009
Operators: United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Estonia
Platforms: Man-portable (shoulder-fired)
Conflict used in: Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022), Syrian Civil War (reported limited use)

SOURCE:
Saab Official: https://www.saab.com/products/nlaw ; UK Ministry of Defence ; Jane’s Infantry Weapons ; SIPRI Arms Transfers Database ; Army Technology: https://www.army-technology.com/projects/nlaw-anti-tank-weapon-system/