M41 Surface-to-Surface Rocket Medium Anti-Vehicle/Assault Weapon

Were you also looking for the M19-B SAM Missile Launcher, mentioned in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, or the M19 SSM Rocket Launcher, used in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2?

The M41 SSR MAV/AW is a heavy ordnance weapon of the UNSC arsenal used in Halo 3. It is different from the M19 SSM Rocket Launcher used in Halo.

Design Details
The M41 SSR, alternatively called the Jackhammer, Pain, and SPNKr a reference to the rocket launcher in the Marathon (Video Game Series). The M41 is a heavy ordnance weapon of the UNSC arsenal used in Halo 3. It fires a 102mm Shaped-Charge High-Explosive Surface to Surface Missile, as shown on Ammo Box in Halo Graphic Novel. The launcher sports a 2x scope and can fire rockets over long distances with devastating accuracy, although it falls in altitude and moves at a very slow rate if fired from a long distance. This is not to be confused with the M19 SSM Rocket Launcher used in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. The M41 is, however, directly derived from the M19 SSM models, and is nearly identical to the first variant of the M19 as seen in Halo.

The M41 uses a unique design then any other rocket launchers. When reloaded, the barrels are removed, two preloaded barrels are then inserted back onto the unit. With this mechanism, a Marine can greatly reduce the weight he carries without throwing the weapon away like some contemporary disposable rocket launchers. This setup is very similar to that of the Javelin Anti-Tank System currently used by the U.S. military.

Advantages
The Rocket Launcher spreads a huge amount of damage over a large area. It is capable of taking out entire groups of targets at any range and can kill both the passengers and crew of nearly any vehicle with the exception of the Scorpion Tank or Wraith which takes two to three hits with. It is very useful for killing Hunters, which are often the most difficult enemies to kill. For an anti-tank weapon it is capable of inflicting mass damage to tanks and wraiths because of its ability to quickly launch two consecutive shots, so it is effective in close range assaults against tanks. It was originally possible to kill someone with a single running or jumping version of the Rocket Launcher's melee attack. This has since been corrected. In Halo 3 it has a nice propulsion alternative for the "grenade jump" if done correctly. With the Rocket Launcher you do not have to have perfect aim as the blast's splash damage will be enough to kill them. It is also very effective on Choppers, as they can't turn sharp corners very fast. Plus if you practice, you can learn to deflect the rockets trajectory with a well placed grenade or a gravity hammer.

Disadvantages
Several things counterbalance the rocket launcher's sheer power: the rocket, though powerful, is implemented in-game as an anti-vehicle weapon, not designed for engaging infantry. Thus its reload time is quite slow, as it takes about three to five seconds for the M19 to be fully reloaded. The rockets leave a trail of smoke in their wake, giving away the operator's position and necessitating a fire-and-displace strategy of engagement. Ammunition is often limited or unavailable, and the player can carry only 6 extra rockets at once, for a total of 8 rounds. The biggest disadvantage to a player is The blast range of a rocket, if fired too close the splash damage can severely injure or kill its operator if fired carelessly into surrounding terrain or at an enemy. An explosion near a rocket in flight will cause it to deflect. Deflected rockets tumble end over end, and will explode if they strike an object. However, the damage they do is reduced significantly; a deflected rocket will not kill a player with full shields. An explosion or a well-placed bullet can and will destroy a fired rocket.

Influences
On the side of the M41 the labeling on the launcher and the rectangular cases that contain rocket ammunition has the words SPNKr. The M41 SSR is essentially a Halo Universe copy of the SPNKR-X17/18 SSM Launcher (Lazyboy) from the Marathon. The the word "SPNKr" is a short abbreviation of the word Spanker and the line serves as an inside joke for both fans and Bungie of their former series.

Changes From M19 SSM Rocket Launcher
In Halo 2, the Rocket Launcher is much weaker than the one from Halo:Combat Evolved, although it still can destroy a small sized vehicle with one shot. Despite how many rockets it takes to take out a vehicle, the Halo 2 rocket launcher has a lock on system that tracks an enemy vehicle and nearly always hits its mark, destroying it.
 * The M41 HEAT rocket travels faster than its M19 counterpart.
 * The tubing is also a metallic silver color rather then a synthetic black.
 * No longer has the homing feature offered in the Halo 2's M19 model, and is more similar to Halo: Combat Evolved's Model.
 * Maximum ammo is 8, just like in Halo 2.
 * Different firing sound effect.
 * Faster reload.
 * Faster melee.
 * Ammunition indicated in scope when zoomed in.
 * HUD ammo indicator illustration changed.

Tactics
Acquiring the rocket launcher in a multiplayer game may prove difficult, since by default (on most maps) it spawns in a central, highly-contested area (players who know the level know where the Rocket Launcher is and thus clashes with the enemy for the weapon are quite common, usually when the match first starts). However, once acquired, this weapon can become very effective for all the reasons mentioned above - it can take out a large group of enemies in one shot, and can easily eliminate vehicles. Since direct impacts with the rocket are difficult to achieve, especially in open areas, it is prudent to aim at the ground in front of the enemy or the wall to their side. Though the shot may miss, the blast will often kill or seriously injure the opponent. Bear in mind, there is a short delay of around .25-.5 of a second between the player pulling the trigger and the rocket actually leaving the barrel. It may not sound like much, but it is actually a very important consideration for accurate shooting, particularly when deflection shooting.

In Halo 2, the Rocket Launcher was often considered to be a "noobish" weapon due to its high power and low talent curve. Furthermore, the weapon would not respawn when it had been picked up, even if it was out of ammo; many players would keep an empty Rocket Launcher just to deny anyone else access it. With Halo 3's revamped weapon spawn system, this aspect of the weapon is no longer effective, and the Rocket Launcher has, as a rule, taken more skill to use. Due to the large blast radius, many players tend to use this over other weapon types when they attempt to get the multi-kill medals.

Trivia

 * Rockets was recently made into a Double EXP weekend playlist, which included Splockets (Spartans lasers and Rockets), and also Snockets (Snipers and Rockets). Additionally, the Rocket Launcher is the main weapon used in the retired playlist Rocket Race, which is now a Double Exp Weekend playlist.
 * The Rocket Launcher has a considerable recoil, although the very nature of its design requires it not to recoil. When the rocket is fired, the gases generated by its launch is shunted through the back of the barrel. When a rocket is fired in real life, the only sensation is an impulse and a forward shift in the weapon's center of gravity as the projectile leaves the weapon.
 * In Halo 3, it is possible to shoot down the rockets fired from this weapon with a Battle Rifle or a Covenant Carbine as well as a Sniper Rifle or a Particle Beam Rifle. This is probably possible with other head-shot enabled weapons. The SMG, however, will not work. This was tested thoroughly in Theater Mode. There is a slight delay between when the shot hits the rocket and when the rocket explodes, however, which should be taken into consideration.
 * Though it carries much less ammo, it is often preferred over the Fuel Rod Gun due to the rocket being stronger, faster, more accurate, possessing larger splash damage, and can't deflect off the terrain like the Fuel Rod Gun can.
 * It is impossible to hit yourself with your own rocket. If you shoot it at a receiver node and go through the sender node to catch up with it it will pass harmlessly through your body.

Internal Links

 * M19-B SAM Missile Launcher
 * M19 SSM Rocket Launcher