FGR-17 Viper
| FGR-17 Viper | |
|---|---|
The FGR-17 VIPER in extended position
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| Type | Anti-tank/unguided rocket |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1983 – canceled same year |
| Wars | Cold War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | Late 1970s |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics, Pomona Division |
| Unit cost | US$1,310.00 FY 1982–83 |
| Produced | 1982 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4 kg |
| Length | 111.7 cm ready to fire |
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| Caliber | 70 mm |
| Muzzle velocity | 257 m/s |
| Effective firing range | 250 m moving – 500 m stationary |
| Sights | pop up M16 type iron sights |
| VIPER brochure 1981 | |
 Front-Back
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Section 2
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Section 3
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The FGR-17 Viper was an American one man disposable antitank rocket, which was slated in the 1980s to be the replacement for the M72 LAW, but was cancelled shortly after production began because of cost overruns and concerns about safety and capability.
The Viper program began in 1972 as a study to replace the M72 LAW. In 1975, a program designated ILAW (Improved Light Antitank Weapon) issued a request for proposals to the defense industry, and in 1976 after studying the various industry proposals, the U.S. Army designated General Dynamics as the prime contractor, changing the ILAW program name to "Viper". The main requirements for the ILAW/Viper program was for a disposable weapon in the same weight and size category as the M72 LAW, but with major improvements in accuracy, safety and penetration and without a major increase in cost per round over the M72 LAW which it was to replace.
When the ILAW requirement was first issued, the Army wanted an individual antitank weapon with such a low cost that it would be as common in infantry units as the hand grenade was. All these requirements, which included items contradictory to each other, proved to be too great a hurdle for General Dynamics. This resulted in subsequent issues that led to highly publicized congressional inquires into a classified GAO report which stated that the Viper...barely meets the low end of the Army's requirement.. and furthermore concluded ...Viper did not demonstrate any significant superiority over the M72 LAW.
Journalists soon discovered that when the prime contractor was named in 1976 for the Viper program, General Dynamics had told the Army that when mass production for the Viper was reached, the cost of Viper would only be $78.00 per round before inflation. Despite the negative publicity, the Army decided to continue the Viper program and make improvements. In December 1981, General Dynamics was awarded a $14.4 million contract to start production for 1400 Viper rounds.
Shortly after this contract was issued, there were also reports of safety problems with the first production lot during field evaluation tests by the U.S. Army. Test firings had shown Viper rounds to have a safety problem with its fuze system that caused the warhead to explode shortly after launch. One report detailed an accident at Fort Benning, Georgia where a helicopter pallet of Viper rounds were found to be damaged by static electricity.
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Wikipedia