U.S. forces fielded the M136 AT4 during Desert Shield and Desert Storm as a disposable infantry anti-armor weapon, with Marine Corps accounts documenting both issue to reconnaissance Marines and a February 1991 close-range firing against an Iraqi tank.
| Claim | Sources |
|---|---|
| U.S. forces used AT4 systems in real-world combat from Desert Storm onward. | Sources: Saab Individual Assault Munition |
| Marine reconnaissance troops had M136 AT4 antitank weapons during the Battle of al-Khafji. | Sources: Marine Corps Battle of Al-Khafji |
| A Marine fired an AT4 at an Iraqi tank during the February 25, 1991 counterattack near the Burqan oil field. | Sources: Leatherneck Speed Bump Battalion |
Timeline
Saab's U.S. Army AT4 history describes the M136 as the Americanized AT4 variant and says the AT4 family had been a U.S. Army infantry squad weapon since 1985.
Sources: Saab U.S. Army AT4 Partnership
A Marine Corps battle study places M136 AT4 antitank weapons with 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion at Observation Post 4 when Iraqi forces attacked around al-Khafji.
Sources: Marine Corps Battle of Al-Khafji
Leatherneck reports that Corporal Bryan Zickefoose fired an AT4 at less than 50 yards and disabled an Iraqi tank during the Reveille Counterattack near the Burqan oil field.
Sources: Leatherneck Speed Bump Battalion
The M136 AT4 was fielded by U.S. forces during the 1990 Gulf War. Saab's AT4 family history says the U.S. military used AT4 systems in real-world combat operations from Desert Storm onward and identifies a Desert Storm Marine tank engagement involving AT4 munitions.
Marine Corps historical material places M136 AT4 antitank weapons with Marines during the Battle of al-Khafji. A later Leatherneck account of 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines describes Corporal Bryan Zickefoose using an AT4 at less than 50 yards on February 25, 1991, disabling one of two Iraqi tanks encountered in fog and oil smoke near the Burqan oil field.
Sources: Saab Individual Assault Munition, Marine Corps Battle of Al-Khafji, Leatherneck Speed Bump Battalion
The AT4 was already in U.S. service before the Gulf War; Saab's U.S. Army history describes the M136 as the Americanized AT4 variant selected after U.S.-specific changes to the Swedish design.
On January 29, 1991, Iraqi forces attacked around al-Khafji. The Marine Corps battle study describes 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion at Observation Post 4 and lists its Marines as armed with M136 AT4 antitank weapons among their small arms and machine guns.
On February 25, 1991, during the Iraqi counterattack near the Burqan oil field, Zickefoose and Lance Corporal Michael Kilpatrick moved back toward two Iraqi tanks. Leatherneck reports that Zickefoose fired an AT4 and disabled one tank, while Kilpatrick used a LAW against the second.
Sources: Saab U.S. Army AT4 Partnership, Marine Corps Battle of Al-Khafji, Leatherneck Speed Bump Battalion
The Gulf War evidence shows the AT4 in its expected infantry role: a single-shot, shoulder-fired anti-armor weapon carried by U.S. ground troops for close-range engagements against armored threats. It did not define the coalition ground campaign, which was dominated by tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, aircraft, and precision fires, but it gave small Marine units an organic anti-armor option during reconnaissance, screening, and close-contact actions.
The documented February 25 firing is useful because it separates possession from use. The al-Khafji account establishes that Marines had M136 AT4s in the theater, while the Burqan account describes an AT4 actually fired at an Iraqi tank during the Desert Storm ground offensive.
Sources: Saab Individual Assault Munition, Marine Corps Battle of Al-Khafji, Leatherneck Speed Bump Battalion
