First a little review of an article I found:
http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/1629
There is another EFP warhead mentioned in this link, the M303.
But the M303 is considerably more powerful and heavier than the 2.2 Lb/1 Kg's M2 SLAM. A lot of information regarding the deployment and operation of M2 SLAM (and the Claymore) can be found in standard ARMY FM manuals hosted by Global Security.IraqSlogger wrote: the M303 is a shape charge that can knock down walls, destroy power stations and even flatten bridges.
More information about EFP principles at English Wikipedia and Global Security websites.
(Picture illustrating formation of an EFP warhead. Link to the full article.)
A short sum up is that the M2 SLAM fires a relatively short-lived projectile (rather than acting like a demolitions charge) which breaks up into shrapnel at a relative short distance. It should only do limited damage to any object out of focus of it's "lens", or objects out of range. It is designed to hit an object with the explosively formed penetrator (EFP), and not blowing objects like a demolitions charge would.
Damage and the need for careful deployment
I think that the M2 SLAM should be able to do considerable damage to any lightly armored vehicle (HMMWV, Vodnik and all the rest) - not by blowing the actual vehicle into molecules but at least disabling it's movement and killing some or all of it's crew. Any APC hit at the right spot (see picture above for example) should also run some risk of having wheels/track impaired (slower speed until repaired) or disabled (sitting duck until repaired) and some of it's crew hurt. MBT's should run the risk of at least getting it's track disabled. All of the events described should of course require the M2 SLAM to explode at the right moment, angle and distance.
Any aircraft should be easily destroyed by a M2 SLAM though, since they are relatively fragile. They should also be heavily damaged or destroyed by an attached M2 SLAM (this should go for all vehicles but the APC/MBT's). This is also suggested by figure 4-6. in the standard ARMY FM manual linked above, if I understand this correct.
I have read some suggestions regarding the deployment of the EFP and its eventual detonation. I think the timer detonation is a good choice, but a secondary option to detonate it by radio control (like the claymore) would be even better. Sighting it in is not that hard and it is actually a good thing they can't be thrown any significant distance, since they are carefully planted in real life and aimed to hit crew compartment to do as must damage as possible. When deployed by timer it should also have the anti-tamper feature from real life meaning that any engineer using his wrench on it should be blown to smithereens.
The M2 SLAM should act more like a quite powerful projectile at relatively short distances then breaking up to shrapnel flying in a narrow conical path at a moderate distance. Anyone in it's close vicinity (~2 meters) should be killed or concussed from it's detonation, but light armor vehicles/aircraft out of the EFP's path or distance (which the SLAM it's not directly attached to) should not be affected. I'd rather see the M2 SLAM acting anti-material (some vehicles included) while having very limited anti-personel use.
Practical implementation in BF2 engine
The M2 SLAM could maybe fire something like a short "RPG-3 light" (RPG-3 = predecessor of RPG-7), only a lot faster and self destructing after 10 meters. Then a fragmentation blast from the point of self destruct and a moderate distance in the shape of a 10 degree cone. Is a projectile flying 10 meters in the fraction of a second, detonating and transforming into a "shaped frag grenade" impossible or very hard to do? I am looking forward to all feedback, and do vote in the poll!
