The SMAW's main purpose is to destroy bunkers, buildings, and light armored vehicles, during assault operations, using high-explosive dual mode (HEDM) rockets.

[9] The SMAW can also engage armored vehicles using high-explosive anti-armor (HEAA) rockets, which has a maximum effective range of 500 m (550 yards) against a tank-sized target.

By the time deliveries under the initial contract were completed in 1987, the U.S. licensee had delivered 1,828 Mk 153 launchers to the U.S. Marine Corps.

During Operation Just Cause in Panama (1989), the U.S. Army recognized the need for a lightweight weapon capable of defeating bunkers, fortifications, and other fortified defensive structures.

As a result, during Operation Desert Storm (1991), the Army had to borrow 125 Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapons (SMAW) from the U.S. Marine Corps.

This eventually lead to the adoption of the M141 BDM, a single-shot, disposable version of the Mk 153 SMAW using the same HEDM rocket.

Marines employed the SMAW Novel Explosive (SMAW-NE) thermobaric rocket to collapse structures and neutralize fortified positions.

[14] The SMAW's destructive capability significantly enhanced small-unit firepower, allowing infantry to engage entrenched enemies without relying solely on larger, less maneuverable systems like tanks.

[18] It was developed in tandem with a round capable of being fired from an enclosed area without ill effects on the environment and personnel.

The rocket encasements are loaded into the rear of the launcher, and the launch tube is constructed from a durable fiberglass-epoxy composite material with a gel coated bore.

The 9×51mm Mk 217 Mod 0 spotting round is ballistically matched with the rocket, improving the gunner’s first-round hit probability.

Each spotting round features a special 9mm projectile containing a tracer compound, which is crimped into a 7.62×51mm NATO casing, with a .22 Hornet primer.

This redesign aimed to streamline operations by centralizing the weapon's controls and improving the gunner's ability to reload the spotting rifle independently.

The Mk 153 Mod 2 is an enhanced variant, featuring an electronic modular ballistic sight (MBS) in place of the 9 mm spotting system.

The Mod 2 also has a reduced weight of 13 lb (5.9 kg) with the MBS attached,[25] along with other improvements, like increased pad size on the forward grip and foldable backup iron sights.

[26] The Mk 153 Mod 2 reached full operational capability (FOC) across the United States Marine Corps between 2019 and 2020.