RPG-32 (Hashim)

History

At the beginning of the new millennium, the governments of Jordan and Mexico commissioned the Bazalt Bureau, run by the Russian government, to design and develop a modern anti-tank armor-piercing measure capable of penetrating reinforced concrete targets. The result was the "RPG-32" based on the existing RPG-29. Russia has a long history of expertise in low-cost anti-tank systems, dating back to the bloody conflict with Germany and the Axis powers during World War II. In many ways, the RPG-32 became the culmination of many successes of previous designs, including the world-renowned RPG-7 (which Bazalt continues to produce). The RPG-32 entered service in 2008 and is used by the militaries of Iraq, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Jordanian army uses the sometimes-occurring term "hashem" to refer to the Arab Hashemite dynasty of past centuries. Jordan provided initial funding for the RPG-32 program, and his engineers played a role in the final design.

At the heart of the RPG-32 is a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, similar to the previous RPG-7, but with a lighter launcher and more powerful rocket elements. The system consists of a launch tube that integrates optics and a trigger mechanism. The rocket-propelled grenade is deployed through a prefabricated casing that is deployed at the rear of the barrel before firing.

The optical sight is managed from the left side of the launch tube, and the trigger unit is located on the right. As with earlier RPG development, the RPG-32 requires little preparation to operate and very little training to use - making it popular with many operators.

The RPG-32 launcher has a 105mm caliber but can fire 105mm (15.4 lb) and 72mm rocket-type magazines. Two recognized missiles are available - "PG-32V" Tandem HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) and "TBG-32V" Thermobaric Fragmentation Anti-Armor (TFAA).

The former has a penetrating power of up to 650 mm (25 inches), a muzzle velocity of 460 feet per second, and an effective range of up to 2,300 feet. The rocket ships in a single-use housing on the back of a reusable launch tube.

The RPG-32 is said to be capable of defeating the basic armor of today's main battle tanks, while the warhead is suitable for other target types including fortifications. The launcher is intentionally designed to be portable, and is shoulder-launched in the usual way. Of course, due to the violent recoil of such weapons, firing inside buildings is limited to a certain extent in confined spaces. The launcher weighs 3 kg (excluding projectiles) and its value is limited only by the supply of available ammunition.

Common is an RPG wielder with 3 rocket grenades in a specially designed backpack next to his primary automatic weapon. Because the projectile is a true "rocket-propelled grenade" and not a guided missile, the projectile is essentially a "dumb" weapon with no post-launch guidance.

This helps to significantly reduce acquisition costs while providing discerning customers with a very advanced armor penetration system. According to the company, a single launcher is designed to fire 200 missiles.

Local licensed production of launchers and rockets is believed to be in Argentina, Brazil, Jordan and Mexico. This local solution manufacturing was one of RPG-32's initial project goals.

Specification

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