The German military is now testing the Panzerfaust 3 long-range shoulder-launched rocket system. The new system is a descendent of the old World War Two Panzerfaust (recoilless rifle) developed by the Germans so that individual soldiers could attack and destroy Russian T-34, JS-I, and JS-II tanks.

The original system was quite simple. It consisted of a 3.5-lb hollow-shaped charge mounted on a short stick. The charge was inserted into a hollow tube 31.5" long andjust under 2" in diameter. A small 3 oz. propellant charge inside the tube was detonated by a flash cap under the trigger. The operator waited for the tank to approach until it was within 30 yds, took aim over a primitive sight, and depressed the trigger which ignited the cap, set off the powder, and shot the round out to a distance of 33 yds. If the round hit right, it was capable of penetrating 7" to 8 " of armor.

The weapon was cheap to build, easy to use, and relatively effective. It was used extensively during the closing days of the war, and many countries have built improved and more powerful versions of the Panzerfaust in the years since the war ended.

Recently, the German government unveiled the latest version of the Panzerfaust in their arsenal. The new Parizerfaust 3 longrange, shoulder-launched rocket system is an ultra sophisticated, laser-beam-riding rocket that carries two distinct charges in its warhead. The first warhead is a 40mm charge designed to cut through reactive armor without detonating the explosive in the armor; the 120mm main charge that is designed to penetrate the armor of any tank in existence at a maximum range of 800 yds.

The launcher is a fiberglass tube that contains the trigger and laser illuminator. The rocket is guided to the target by a set of laser detectors located on its wings. As long as the rocket's detectors "feel" the laser, it stays on course. The laser system is currently unjammable.

The new Panzerfaust is a bulky, ultra- sophisticated, laser-guided weapon that gives the individual soldier the ability to destroy any tank on the battlefield.