Saw this breaking news from FoxNews.com

Can't find a link as of yet, but while watching foxnews they interupted there show to say that arocket was found by railroad tracks and the airport in Atlanta Georgis USA. The rocket as they described it was held by a police official and from my experience in the US Army, I recognised it as a "LAW" as we called them they are the M-72 Light Anti-tank Weapon. It would be sure luck if one of these brought down an Airliner (Imopssible actualy unless the Plane was taxing) but, it could "Kill" a train.






Vance

Yes I saw the news too, I live in Leesburg GA. and Bush was in Atlanta yesterday on a fundraise.

Rocket launcher found near Atlanta rail-transit station

ATLANTA - A military rocket launcher was found Tuesday near a rail-transit station, but the FBI said it looks to be a less-powerful model commonly used to train soldiers and would be unable to bring down an aircraft or destroy a train.

The M136 AT4 launcher is used by the Army to destroy light tanks. It will be examined further to be sure it is only a training model, said FBI spokesman Steve Lazarus.

My understanding is that this type launcher can be bought in certain gun shops?



seekerof

It is word on the military base here were I live that is a training launcher and it is not a big deal, but because Bush was in the Atlanta area they make it big news, by the way he made 3 millions in the fundraiser, and I thought this was one low income state.

[Edited on 18-5-2004 by marg6043]

I have seen just the launchers before in a gun shop, for sale, it was a few years before all this terrorism stuff though.

Huh? Fireworks are illegal in Illinois but it is ok to leave a training launcher laying around in GA - no big deal? I clearly know nothing about weapons but I would imagine a training launcher poses much greater harm to the public than a fire cracker. So why is this no big deal? Even if it actually is "just a trainin launcher" what was it doing three, who left it, why did they have it out? Sounds like someone forgot to clean up after they were done playing.....

my guess is that someone was making a deal with someone else and this was the pickup location but the wrong people picked it up instead. Good location though(train)......grab and go. Who knows, but I am sure the media will tell us a crock of #e though.

May just be a cup dispensor, but certainly, even if a training launcher, caused havoc to various degrees?
M136 AT4

US Army used to use them as light tank busters.
My limited understanding is that the trainer is a sub-calibur device (like a rifle), that goes inside of the launcher/tube?



seekerof

I really doubt there was a shady deal over a little training version of the M-72, if in fact it was a training version. More likely scenarios:
1. There is somebody out there even dumber than the shoe bomber who thought it was real, and made an attempt.
2. This is some yokels idea of a great joke.
3. It's a PR trick to draw attention to the presidents trip.

I never handled an M-72. It was obsolete by the time I was a Marine. The AT-4 simulator I used fired a 9mm tracer round. If the M-72 simulator was the same, I would be more worried about fireworks.


Now what state did you see a LAW in? Are you sure it was a functioning unit? I've heard about all sorts of stuff getting pawned off in military towns, but I wouldn't expect it sitting in the open like that.

The responses have been great folks, but I'm moving this to the Current Events Forum, where it is better suited.


seekerof