Ranger Antiarmor Team

A Ranger with Weapons Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment prepares to fire a Ranger Antitank Weapons System (RAWS) during Task Force Training, 2014.

The antiarmor section within each Ranger rifle company's weapons platoon includes 3 2-man anti-armor teams.

These teams are armed with the 84mm RAWS recoilless rifles or FGM-148 anti-tank missiles.

The anti-armor section provides the Ranger rifle company's organic antitank capability.

As a light infantry special operations unit, the Rangers may find themselves operating far from the support often available to ground units.

The anti-armor sections allow the Rangers to go up against APCs and main battle tanks, albeit in a limited way.

Their RAWs and Javelins can also be used to attack buildings, bunkers and other fortified positions.

The RAWS or Javelin is operated by 2 Rangers, a gunner and a loader.

The role of RAWs gunner is not the most coveted within the Rangers due to its weight and size making it a pain to carry and difficult to fast-rope down from helicopters with.

Ranger antiarmor teams may operate together as a section or detach to separately support rifle platoons in the same company.