M202 FLASH

The M202 FLASH (FLame Assault SHoulder) is a US-made 66mm infantry multiple rocket launcher designed during the 1970s and adopted in 1978. Designed to replace obsolete and dangerous WW2-era infantry flamethrowers with a safer and longer-ranged delivery system for incendiary rounds, the weapon was built on research done with the experimental XM191 napalm launcher during the late 1960s. Rather than napalm, the M74 rockets used by the M202 use an M235 warhead with 1.34 pounds of thickened pyrophoric agent (TPA), which consists of triethylaluminum (TEA) thickened with polyisobutylene.

The suitcase-like weapon body is loaded with a large four-round clip inserted into the rear which holds four complete rockets and their fiberglass exhaust tubes; this clip can be slid into the body for easier carrying. The M202 features an integral folding reflex sight with range markings, and a folding pistol grip with a two-mode trigger that can fire either one rocket at a time (not technically semi-auto, since a different firing pin is used for each rocket) or all four at once. The handle on the front cover of the weapon can be used as a forgrip, while the rear cover is used as a shoulder rest.

In media it is normally shown firing ordinary explosive rockets, which is incorrect: while the M202 was designed to share a caliber with the M72 LAW to allow the possibility of firing HEAT rounds (and the XM191 could actually do this, with the round referred to as XM78), no HEAT clips were ever manufactured for the M202. A crowd control CS gas round, the XM96, was also trialed with the XM191, but never entered service.

The M202A1 is visually identical, with the only modification being internal alterations to prevent firing pin hangs. It is unclear what changes the most current version, the M202A2, incorporates. While the M202 was regarded as obsolete in the late 1980s and was slowly being phased out, in particular due to the tendency of the M235 warheads to leak when placed in storage, there is some documentation indicating that M202 launchers were still in service with US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

M202A1 FLASH - 66mm

The M202 FLASH and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Specifications

(Late 1960s (XM191), 1978-present (?) (M202))

• Type: Incendiary multiple rocket launcher

• Caliber: 66mm

• Weight: 11.5 lb (5.22 kg) empty, 26.6 lb (12.07 kg) loaded

• Length: 27 in (686 mm) closed, 34.75 in (883 mm) extended

• Capacity: 4 round clip

• Fire Modes: Single-shot / 4-shot

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Commando	Arnold Schwarzenegger	John Matrix	Missing front and rear covers, shown firing explosive rockets	1985
Commando	Rae Dawn Chong	Cindy	Missing rear cover, shown firing explosive rockets	1985
The Expendables 3		Soldier		2014

Anime

Title	Character	Note	Date
Mad Bull 34	Chinese assassin		1990
Hellsing	Luke Valentine		2001-2002
Rideback	BMA Ridebacks		2009

Video Games

Title	Note	Release Date
Resident Evil		1996
Half-Life	Modified version, on a tripod	1998
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis	as "Rocket Launcher"	1999
The World Is Not Enough	as the "AT-420 Sentinel", capable of full auto unguided or semi-auto laser-guided fire.	2000
007: Nightfire	as the "AT-420 Sentinel" in the PC version of the game, capable of shooting unguided rockets or remote controlled with the help of a camera to help guidance	2002
Resident Evil (2002)	as "Rocket Launcher"	2002
Far Cry	Not a real M202 Flash, but an highly similar weapon.	2004
Söldner: Secret Wars		2004
Far Cry Instincts: Predator	as "Rocket Launcher"	2006
Team Fortress 2	as "The Black Box", capable of healing +15 HP at expense of 1 less rocket (3 out of the usual 4)	2007
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker	M202A1	2010
Call of Duty: Black Ops	as the "Grim Reaper"	2010
War Inc. Battlezone		2011