SEP Dard 120

120mm Shoulder-Fired, Reusable Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher [ 1981 ]

The two-man SEP DARD 120 was designed as a portable, close-range anti-armor weapon to counter the latest Soviet tank designs.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/25/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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The Cold War period (1947-1991) and the emergence of the Main Battle Tank (MBT) required army forces to field capable armor-defeating weapons. This was not lost on the French Army who was the victim of two World Wars on its soil (1914-1918 and then again in 1939-1945). As such, in 1978, work began on a new, all-modern 120mm caliber Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) weapon capable of being fired from the shoulder of an infantryman. The Societe Europeenne de Propulsion (SEP) was charged with its development and subsequent manufacture of the new, portable tank-killer - the "DARD 120".

The DARD 120 went through several earlier, smaller-caliber iterations in the "DARD 90" and the "DARD AC1000" - which were built around a 90mm and 95mm caliber tube, respectively. The new system was adopted in 1981 and intended for close-to-medium ranges with the "sweet spot" being 985 feet. The weapon was designed with a crew of two in mind though it only took a single operator to fire it.

The DARD 120 chambered 4.72" armored-piercing, fin-stabilized rocket-propelled projectile out to a range of 1965 feet (blast diameter of 80 feet). The launch tube was transported in two major sections of which one featured the preloaded rocket and was disposable. The operator(s) joined the two sections together and the system was made ready-to-fire in minutes. For low-level light environments, Night-Vision (NV) equipment was an optional fitting over the standard-issue optical sights. The complete system weighed 31lb and had a 63" length. The grenade could defeat up to 820mm to 850mm of steel.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1981

Origin

France

Classification

120mm Shoulder-Fired, Reusable Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher

Societe Europeenne de Propulsion (SEP) - France

(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)

France

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Anti-Armor / Anti-Tank / Anti-Material
Designed to engage and defeat armor / enemy tanks at range.

Overall Length

1,600 mm
62.99 in

Barrel Length

1,600 mm
62.99 in

Empty Wgt

31.97 lb
14.50 kg

Sights

Included Optics

Action

Trigger-Actuated; Single-Shot; Reusable Launch Tube

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)

Caliber(s)*

120mm

Sample Visuals**

Graphical image of a shoulder-fired rocket projectile

Rounds / Feed

Single-Shot; Reusable Launcher

*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.

Max Eff.Range

985 ft
(300 m | 328 yd)

Rate-of-Fire

5
rds/min

Muzzle Velocity

920 ft/sec
(280 m/sec)

DARD 120 - Base Series Designation

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