Let’s recall which missile weapons, which are now portable, are most actively used in the special operations zone. First of all, this is, of course, the RPG-7. The grenade launcher is famous all over the world just like the Kalashnikov AK-47 and AKM assault rifles. It is easy to maintain and use in combat, reliable and very effective. It was adopted by the Soviet army more than sixty years ago. And to this day it remains one of the best in the world.
The RPG-7’s baptism of fire took place in 1968 in Vietnam. The partisans successfully attacked all types of American tanks and armored vehicles of the time. In addition, the grenade launcher, designed to destroy ground vehicles and fortified firing points, proved to be very effective in combating aircraft, especially helicopters.
The most modern NATO armored vehicles supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, both infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, are easily hit by our portable anti-tank grenade launchers.
According to American military experts, the RPG-7 shot down many more aircraft than man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems designed specifically for this purpose. According to foreign estimates, during the Vietnam War, the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, destroyed 128 helicopters of the American and South Vietnamese army on the ground and in the air. In subsequent years, in different parts of the world, this anti-tank grenade launcher was used to shoot down not only helicopters, but also aircraft, mainly military transport aircraft.
The RPG-7’s ammunition load includes anti-tank cumulative missiles, including those with a tandem warhead, specially protected penetration missiles, anti-personnel fragmentation missiles and multi-functional volumetric detonation missiles. The latest RPG-7 anti-tank missiles are believed to penetrate 500 mm of armored steel.
These grenade launchers are in service in more than forty countries around the world.
On the basis of the RPG-7, the RPG-16 “Udar” was developed for airborne troops. Externally, it differs little from the RPG-7, but it fires not supercaliber shells, but 58.3 mm caliber shells. In addition, during landing, it can be easily disassembled into two parts. The armor penetration of its missiles, like that of the RPG-7, reaches half a meter.
Another famous grenade launcher can be considered the RPG-18 “Mukha”. The grenade launcher is disposable, its firing range is 150 meters, and armor penetration is 300 mm. There are also improved variants of the “Fly” in service: RPG-22, RPG-26 and RPG-27.
At the beginning of the century, a new series of grenade launchers was developed in Russia, which, in terms of their characteristics, like the RPG-7, turned out to be the best in the world.
The RPG-28 “Cranberry” was first introduced in 2007. In 2012, the Russian army officially adopted the grenade launcher. It is designed to combat all types of modern and future tanks. The RPG-28 disposable launcher is a fiberglass tube with a caliber of 125 mm and a length of 1200 mm. The trigger device is covered at the ends with rubber caps that can be destroyed when firing. Viewing range – 300 meters, armor penetration – 900 mm.
A double-action rocket-propelled grenade has been developed for firing from Klyukva at fortified firing points. First, a cumulative projectile breaks through the wall, and then a thermobaric grenade “expands” the breach and destroys everything behind the wall.
The Russian military also has an RPG-29 Vampire in its arsenal. Israeli media have repeatedly reported that most Israeli armored vehicles, including the famous Merkava tanks, are destroyed with RPG-29 grenade launchers.
And finally, the most powerful disposable grenade launcher, the 105 mm RPG-30 “Hook”. Designed to combat all modern main tanks equipped with additional active and dynamic protection. It is disposable. It has a bicaliber design, innovative for portable anti-tank grenade launchers, which uses a kind of simulator of the main rocket to overcome active protection.
Structurally, the RPG-30 consists of two parallel tubes containing rockets. The tube outlets are covered with petal-shaped rubber membranes. The larger diameter tube houses the main 105 mm caliber rocket-propelled tandem cumulative anti-tank grenade. A simulator missile is located in a smaller diameter tube. It has an identical trajectory and radar signature to the main grenade, so active defense systems classify it as a rocket-propelled attack grenade, causing them to explode. And then a missile with a tandem warhead flies into the resulting gap in the active protection. Its armor penetration is 600 mm.
SVO experience has shown that the most modern NATO armored vehicles supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, even those equipped with dynamic and active protection systems, are easily hit by our portable anti-tank grenade launchers.
