Saab has secured a fresh order for its global bestseller, the reusable Carl Gustaf recoilless launcher in the M4 configuration, with Denmark's Ministry of Defense signing a contract that covers additional launchers, ammunition and training equipment. The deal is valued at SEK 510 million (about €46.6 million) and foresees deliveries between 2026 and 2028. Copenhagen previously ordered the Carl Gustaf M4 systems in 2022, making this the second confirmed buy of the modernised 84 mm system.
The procurement follows Denmark's retirement this year of the older Carl Gustaf M3 variant (locally known as the Dysekanon M/85), a weapon that had been in service since the mid-1980s. The Danish Armed Forces have an even longer history with the Carl Gustaf family overall, having employed the M2 version (Dysekanon M/65) since the 1960s. The new M4 is therefore the latest chapter in a platform lineage that dates back to 1946.
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Technically the M4 system preserves the core traits of the Carl Gustaf family, an 84 mm, reusable, rifled launcher, but weighs only 6.4 kg, some 3.2 kg lighter than the previous model. The weight reduction improves portability for dismounted troops without sacrificing firepower, a critical advantage for expeditionary and infantry operations.
Saab also offers the system with the FCD 558 fire-control unit, effectively an integrated aiming and ballistic computer.
The FCD 558 unit processes range and ambient temperature data to calculate firing solutions, which materially increases first-round hit probability at extended ranges. Saab now cites an effective engagement envelope of over 1,300 metres, depending on munition type, a substantial reach for a man-portable recoilless weapon and one that changes how infantry units can engage armoured and soft targets alike.
Saab has also developed programmable munitions for the M4 system. Notably, the HE-448 warhead can be programmed for airburst and contains 4,000 tungsten pre-formed fragments, enhancing lethality against exposed personnel and soft-skinned targets. Together, the lighter launcher, advanced fire control and modern ammunition family markedly increase the tactical flexibility of front line squads.
The Carl Gustaf M4 system is already in service or ordered by roughly 15 countries, while the Carl Gustaf family remains fielded by more than 40 nations, including Ukraine. The launcher's reputation was burnished early in the 2022 war when a Carl Gustaf round was credited with destroying russian T-90M Proryv main battle tank, demonstrating that the system can still produce decisive battlefield effects.
Compared with the ubiquitous Soviet-era RPG-7 system, the Carl Gustaf unit offers several measurable advantages: higher projectile velocity (about twice as fast in many rounds), roughly 1.5x greater range, a much broader ammunition palette, including larger tandem HEAT and advanced blast/fragmentation rounds, and a practical sustained rate of fire superior to the single-shot RPG family. These performance gaps explain why many modern armies view the Carl Gustaf system as a qualitative step up for light anti-armor and multirole fire support.
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