Your Privacy Choices
The French Police is using the B&T Swiss-made GL06 launcher in 40mm caliber, which they re-named LBD40.
The B&T GL06 launcher is produced to work with the 40 mm B&T SIR less-lethal ammunition, which B&T calls a state of the art in point-of-aim & point-of-impact less lethal systems for public order, law enforcement and peacekeeping operations. According to B&T, the system will secure the human rights of protesters and the safety of the police using the product.
I assume that most people have knowledge about the ongoing Yellow Vests Movement in France
Several articles in various magazines and online media, possibly article like this one, this, this and this have criticized the use of the B&T launcher.
In a reply B&T have released this statement:
STATEMENT ON THE USE OF GL06 IN FRANCE
In various media, accusations are being levelled at the company B&T AG in connection with the use of the LBD40 in France. These accusations falsely state that the munitions used, which are regarded as dangerous or unfit for use, were manufactured and delivered by B&T. Furthermore, the LBD40 launcher (B&T designation: GL06) has been assessed as being imprecise and dangerous.
To this end, we must assert that the munitions used in France were neither designed, manufactured nor delivered by B&T AG. Therefore, we cannot assess the risk potential of the munitions used in France. However, we must make it clear in this context that the munitions used in each case constitute a substantial proportion with regard to the action and precision.
B&T AG can confirm that the launchers used in France were produced by B&T AG and exported to France properly according to the legal regulations with an approved export license. Regarding the accusations that the device is imprecise and dangerous, we must assert that – as mentioned previously – the munitions used are primarily responsible for action and precision. To attribute poor precision and an increased risk of injury to the launcher is therefore technically wrong. Therefore, the launcher cannot fundamentally be assessed to be an imprecise and dangerous device.
B&T AG knows that the LBD40 or GL06 together with the SIR cartridges that we manufacture shows good precision and a low risk of injury. The SIR cartridge is, however, not being used in France. The risk potential of our SIR cartridge was assessed by Swiss Police forces and was approved for use. When used correctly (GL06/SIR), a low risk of injury can be assumed. Regarding these findings and the experience of the user that by using this system, individual aggressors (e.g. those throwing stones or Molotov cocktails) can be approached in a targeted way and thus a huge crowd of peaceful protestors is affected as little as possible, in recent years has led to the GL06 System with SIR impulse cartridge superseding or supplementing older products with higher risks of injury or more harmful effects for the masses, such as batons, rubber bullets and tear gas in the crowd control services.
To conclude, it must be asserted that the LBD40 (GL06), together with the SIR munitions manufactured by B&T, is a precise and effective product that comes with little risk of injury. When using munitions of third party manufacturers, in some cases precision decreases and the risk of injury rises significantly.
Below you can find the types of ammunition manufactured by B&T, with which the GL06 launcher is intended to be used.
Note that France is using a different type of ammunition, but I have not been able to find which one.
B&T’s colorful range of less-lethal projectiles for the GL06 (B&T)
The impulse cartridge SIR is the perfect choice for violent public order applications. The SIR is not only very accurate and therefore can be shot out of the GL06 beyond 50 m with highest it probability. It is also safe at close ranges, as the University of Bern, Switzerland states in an expertise.
and:
The SIR-X cartridge is a more powerful descendant of the well established B&T SIR. It fires the same projectile like the SIR at a higher velocity and thus more kinetic energy.
It enables order forces to apply physical power at large distances on “lightly armoured” individuals e. g. wearing heavy leather gear.
Due to optimised external ballistics, this B&T manufactured impact cartridge provides operators with high hit probability and a large effective range at manageable casualty risk.
The Energy from the SIR and the SIR-X is said to be 116 Joule and 176 Joule.
A few years ago, at the B&T Police & Military Days 2015, I tried the B&T GL06 Launcher in Switzerland, although it was with a 9 mm training system. (Very photo heavy TFB link) I found it to be extremely accurate at the distances provided, around 25 meters.
(If you prefer French over English/American, there is such a version on B&T’s homepage.)
At the end of 2018 TFB’s Matthew reported that the Department of Homeland Security ordered B&T GL06 40MM Launchers as well.
The GL06 (LDB40 in France) was designed as a LESS LETHAL launcher and was approved by the Swiss Authorities for use as such and export to France. In general, while the weapon may have a significant influence on accuracy, it is the ammunition utilized and NOT the weapon design that largely determines the resulting damage or injury to persons or property due to it’s weight and velocity. The ammunition recommended by B&T for use with the launcher is a round of their own design (SIR) which is of high quality, less lethal, and reloadable to encourage training and accuracy and to reduce the chances of serious injury or collateral damage. However, B&T’s recommended ammunition was not chosen for use in France. B&T AG and B&T USA respects the responsibility of Law enforcement to protect and defend the persons and property within their jurisdiction and maintain order. Additionally, B&T supports the citizens of a free society’s right to peaceably assemble, protest and petition their government and representatives thereof for redress of grievances in a non-violent and non-destructive manner consistent with the principles of most modern free societies.
