One of my favorite fire-making devices, the "Flame Assault Shoulder Weapon" or FLASH was intended as a replacement for the aging M9A1-7 and M2A1-7 portable flamethrowers. The four-tube launcher was equipped with front and rear hinged protective covers, a folding sight and trigger handle assembly and a collapsible tube structure to provide compact carrying and storage capabilities. It was loaded with a clip containing four 66mm rockets and could fire one to four shots semi-automatically at a rate of one rocket per second. It could then be reloaded with a fresh clip for an impressive rate of fire. Having five times the range of the standard backpack flamethrower at half the weight, while requiring less service and maintenance in the field, the FLASH was a valuable addition to any rifle platoon.

The FLASH could reliably deliver area fire out to 500 meters under normal conditions. The rockets were able to penetrate up to 1 inch of plywood at 200 meters and at close range could penetrate some wooden doors. It saw limited use in urban combat, as it did not damage brick or cinder block structures. Ineffective against heavily armored vehicles, FLASH attacks on lightly armored vehicles produced devastating psychological effects in the vehicle's crew and passengers.

Often mistaken for Napalm, the rockets actually contain Triethylaluminium (TEA) which is extremely corrosive and especially destructive to the respiratory tract. In addition, the chemical spontaneously ignites when exposed to air, burning at temperatures between 1400-2200 degrees Fahrenheit. The chemical is so unstable that if the rocket were to strike a hard object along its flight path and break open, it would burst into flames even if the fuse had not been armed.

Sadly, the signing of the Geneva accords prevents such devices being used in combat. Despite it's retirement, the FLASH went on to enjoy a healthy career in 80's cinema as a favorite weapon of bad guys, as well as a fairly prominent role near the end of Capcom's Time Crisis 2.