The operation in Ukraine has once again confirmed the effectiveness of hand grenade launchers of the RPG family, which are actively used by both sides of the conflict. Lightweight, easy-to-use and extremely effective weapons have existed since 1949 and are used almost everywhere: Russian grenade launchers destroy tanks and other armored vehicles, burn bunkers and even shoot down helicopters They are used by more than 80 countries of the world, writes 19fortyfive.
Having studied the captured "Faustpatrons", Russian gunsmiths came to the conclusion that this is an effective means against tanks in close combat, since the cumulative charge allows you to penetrate armor eight times thicker than conventional ammunition. Soon the RPG-2 appeared - it was actively used by partisans during the Vietnam War.
However, the penetration abilities of the first Soviet grenade launcher were not brilliant and in 1962 production of the RPG-7, which became a legend, began. Inexpensive: $500-2000 at different times, easy to use and learn calculations. Every Soviet infantry squad had one, the newspaper writes.
The launch tube has a diameter of 40 mm and a mechanical sight. There is a small recoil at startup. The rocket flies out of the tube at a speed of 145 meters per second. Its flight range is 700 meters, but the RPG-7 is more accurate at distances up to 300 m. Various types of grenades are designed to defeat light tanks, armored personnel carriers and fortifications. Another RPG-7 turned out to be surprisingly good against helicopters - in 1993, in Somalia, they shot down two American UH-60 Blackhawk.
In the 70s, a compact RPG-16 appeared for airborne troops and special forces. And the RPG-29 "Vampire" brought anti-tank grenade launchers to a new level. The military was concerned that the legendary RPG-7 lacked the power to effectively fight the new NATO tanks: Abrams and Challenger.
The Vampire received bipods for prone shooting and a 105-mm grenade with a tandem shaped charge capable of piercing the dynamic protection of the tank. Also, the RPG-29 is able to make holes in the walls - a valuable property for fighting in the city.
Hand grenade launchers have a serious drawback - a smoky trail of a charge flying towards the target, which can be used to track down and destroy the shooter. In this case, the RPG-29 has a "cold start" function that dispenses with smoke. In 2006, the "Vampires" in Lebanon shot down several Israeli Merkava tanks, in 2008 - three Abrams in Iraq.
The newest disposable RPG-30 fires two missiles at the same time. The first, 42 mm caliber, is designed to distract the tank's active protection system. The second, 105-millimeter, is to penetrate his armor under a layer of dynamic protection.
Anton Valagin
