Скачать или смотреть The China Lake: The Experimental Weapon SEALs Used in Vietnam

In the jungles of Vietnam, the M79 "Thumper" was a beloved weapon. But it had one fatal flaw: it was single-shot. If a Navy SEAL missed his first shot during an ambush, he was vulnerable while reloading.

The solution came from the secretive Naval Weapons Center at China Lake.

In this video, we reveal the story of the China Lake Grenade Launcher—a weapon so rare it is considered a "ghost" of the Vietnam War.

Discover how engineers combined the mechanics of a pump-action shotgun with the devastating firepower of 40mm grenades. We analyze how this 8-pound beast gave a single SEAL the firepower of a mortar squad, allowing them to fire 4 rounds in seconds. We also explore why, despite its lethality, fewer than 50 were ever made and why the weapon mysteriously vanished after the war.