The Marines are getting their first new(ish) recoilless rifle in more than 3 decades

Starting in May, infantry Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina began getting their hands on the M3E1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapons System, or MAAWS, according to a recent statement from the service.

The MAAWS is a reloadable, recoilless rocket system that serves a similar function to the Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon, or SMAW, but with some notable improvements, like greater range and a better optic.

It also marks the Corps’ newest recoilless rifle since the SMAW was fielded in the mid-1980s.