Lance-grenade individuel Mle F1 (LGI Mle F1)
The LGI Mle F1 is a French close-support weapon infantry weapon designed to be used by one man, which provides soldiers with a lightweight indirect-fire support weapon similar to a small mortar. In many ways, it is a modernized version of the Type 89 grenade discharger used by the Japanese Army during World War II. The LGI has been used by the Foreign Legion and other French Army forces since the 1990s.[2]
LGI | |
---|---|
Training grenade being loaded into an LGI | |
Type | mortar / grenade launcher |
Place of origin | France |
Service history | |
Used by | |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Titanite S.A. |
Specifications | |
Mass | 4.8 kg |
Length | 605 mm |
Crew | 1 |
Cartridge | 51 mm grenade |
Rate of fire | up to 30 rounds per minute |
Effective firing range | 675 metres |
French squads are divided into a 300-metre fireteam each armed with a FAMAS 5.56 mm assault rifle and carrying an AT4 anti-tank weapon and a 600-metre fire-team with a FN Minimi another FAMAS and a LGI.
The mortar uses bombs with a method of propulsion called FLY-K, a closed combustion chamber to capture all the propulsion gases. The propellant charge is inserted into the stabilizing tail of each projectile so the weapon transmits the ignition impulse to the grenade via an enclosed internal system. This concept assures little in the way of noise, muzzle flash, smoke and without a significant thermal signature. The noise made on firing is only 52 dB, making it hard to detect the launching point and high rates of sustained fire are possible as the weapon does not heat up.[3]
The LGI can fire anti-personnel, anti-materiel, blinding, smoke and illumination rounds.
Specifications
- Diameter: 51 mm
- Weight: 4.8 kg
- Length: 605 mm
- Maximum range: 675 m
- Effective kill radius: 20 m
- Rate of fire: up to 30 rounds per minute
Ammunition
- 51 mm (GRExPL AP LGI F1) High Explosive bomb 51 mm
- 51 mm ( GR 51 FUM PH LGI F1) smoke bomb 51 mm
- 47 mm (GR 47 ECL LGI F1) Flare 47 mm
- Practice bombs (coloured blue as in the main picture)
An Infrared bomb is in development that will allow Accurate Night shooting when used with a Night Vision Device (NVD).
See also
- Commando mortar
- Type 89 Grenade Discharger
- 37mm Spade Mortar
- 37mm Marsh Mortar
- L9A1 51 mm Light Mortar
External links
- LGI Specifications (French), archived by the Internet Archive
- LGI information French Army (French), archived by the Internet Archive
- Rheinmetall webpage on FLY-K
References
- Giletta, Jacques (2005). Les Gardes Personnelles des Princes de Monaco (1st ed.). Taurus Editions. ISBN 2 912976-04-9.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2017-02-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Anthony G Williams. "Mortar Ammunition: an International Survey" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2019-12-10.