Source: Air Defense Regiment, Air Force Command
Soldiers of the Air Defense Regiment, Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) Command training in 2018 with two vintage pieces of equipment. The first is the well worn Colt M16A1 rifle which entered U.S. Army service in February 1967 and remained in production until 1982. The second is the Colt XM148 under-barrel 40mm grenade launcher. The XM148 was accepted for U.S. Army service in July 1966 and by mid-1967, the entire order of 20,000 examples was delivered. The XM148 was not a success and was replaced in 1969 by the M203 under-barrel 40mm grenade launcher though some lingered on in U.S. Air Force service as training weapons until the early 1990s. Thus, it is a interesting parallel that RTAF personnel are using the XM148 for training while RTAF security units utilize the M203. The XM148 was still listed as being in active RTAF service in 2019.
The photograph shows to good effect the special handguard required by the XM148. The soldier's left hand is on the small pistol grip which is used to slide the breech cover open and closed. The instructor's fingers are on the sear cover which, when in place, prevents accidental firing. Above the instructor's hand is the firing pin button (according to the patent US3279114). The soldier's right hand finger is resting on the actual trigger to fire the XM148.
As a note, visible near the left sleeve of the soldier is a M203 mounted on a M16A1.
For further information on the XM148, visit:
