People Are 3D Printing Anti-Tank Rocket Launchers Now

For those without a national defense budget or security clearance, a knockoff AT4 is poised to enter the market. Developed by hobbyist designers in Texas using a 3D-printer and other homemade parts, the weapon is not yet ready to take out a tank—or even a flimsy plywood target, as a recent test demonstration revealed. But the unveiling of the cloneable launcher and its powerful plastic rockets could have major implications for modern warfare, providing armies and insurgencies with easy access to cheap and disposable anti-armor weapons.

While untraceable “ghost guns” have stirred controversy and complicated efforts at gun control, advances in using 3D-printing technology to make heavier artillery have largely flown under the radar. Law enforcement documents obtained by VICE News show Mexican drug cartels are already developing their own improvised grenade launchers.