RPG-7

History of the RPG-7

The RPG-7 ("Ruchnoy Protivotankovy Granatomet") is the successor to the Soviet-derived "RPG" series, a portable, shoulder-mounted, anti-tank rocket launcher (generally called "RPG"). Soviet designs can be traced back to the American "Bazooka" and German "Iron Fist" launchers during World War II, and many examples of these weapons ended up in the hands of Soviet soldiers during the conflict.

The previous system was considered a cheap and simple one-man, single-shot, built and operated weapon designed to defeat armor at long distances. Although the system was introduced in 1961, the system has retained a loyal following, and its production range has meant that the weapon has remained on the front lines for a large number of modern conflicts.

Its qualities have made the series a favorite of organized national armies as well as rebel and guerrilla fighters around the world.

The RPG-7 is an evolution of an early RPG variant - from the early RPG-2, RPG-3 and RPG-4 rocket launchers - capable of firing a variety of warhead types, including FRAG (FRAGmentation), HEAT (High Explosive Shells, anti-tank and HE (High Explosive) rounds. The FRAG projectile is a 4 pound bullet based on the 210 gram A-IX-1 explosive. There are two in the single-stage PG-7VL and the tandem-loaded PG-7VR Large HEAT projectiles.

The former weighs 5.7 pounds and the latter 9.9 pounds. With diameters of 93mm and 64mm, these rounds can penetrate Rolling Homogeneous Armor (RHA) from 500mm to 750mm. The TBG-7V is a warm Pressed bullets, weighing 9.9 lbs, with a nominal caliber of 105 mm.

The weapon has an overall weight of 15 lbs and an overall length of 950 mm (37.4 in), making the system light and compact for portability. The shell leaves the muzzle at a speed of 115 meters per second and has an effective range of up to 200 meters (the maximum attainable range is 920 meters). Aiming is via a traditional static iron sight, but also supports optics, like the red dot reflex sight.

At about 50 meters, the operator can achieve a hit probability of up to 100%, although this drops to half at about 200 meters from the target (of course many factors affect accuracy). Its effectiveness does not necessarily lie in its ability to deter lightly armored vehicles, but in providing shock value to enemy forces being excavated.

The RPG-7 is essentially a compact weapon, while the paratrooper version is designed for better movement of major components. It usually provides lightly armed soldiers with the necessary firepower to deter approaching vehicles or drive away defenders. The "recoil" of launching a missile is relatively small, which allows RPGs to be launched from enclosed spaces such as buildings and from covered outdoor locations. It's also very simple to operate, requiring little user training, making it ideal for rebels and other less organized fighters.

Despite its simplicity, the RPG-7's impact on the battlefield cannot be underestimated.

The modern Russian army relies on the modernized form of the weapon "RPG-7V2", and its paratrooper counterpart is "RPG-7D3".

Since 1961, Bazalt, Degtyarev, and others have produced over 9,000,000 examples of the RPG-7. It is produced locally in no less than a dozen countries and can be found in military stockpiles in nearly forty countries around the world - from Afghanistan and Albania to Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Chinese version is designated as "Type 69", which Vietnam calls "B-41". For Sudan, the weapon is called "Sinar" and is manufactured by military-industrial companies. Bulgaria calls its stock "ATGL-L".

Airtronic in the United States manufactures the gun as the "RPG-7USA", a modern incarnation of the gun with accessory rails, flip sights and extended life.

The former operators are East Germany, Rhodesia and Yugoslavia. Comparable weapons systems in the West are the American M72 LAW, the German Panzerfaust 3 and the Israeli B-300.

Specification

BASIC

Years of Service

1961

Origins

Soviet Union

Categories

Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher (RPG)

Manufacturer

Bazalt - Russia; Defense Industry Organization - Iran; Airtronic USA, Incorporated - United States

Operator

Albania; Armenia; Afghanistan; Algeria; Bangladesh; Cambodia; China; Cuba; Cyprus; Czechoslovakia; Czech Republic; Egypt; Indonesia; Iran; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Kazakhstan Stan; Laos; Lebanon; Libya; Malaysia; Malta; Mexico; Myanmar; Mongolia; North Korea; Pakistan; Peru; Philippines; Russia; South Africa; former Soviet Union; Sudan; Syria; Turkey; Ukraine; Vietnam

Roles

Fire Support

Ability to suppress enemy elements at a distance using direct or indirect fire.

Anti-tank/anti-tank/anti-material

Designed to engage at long range and defeat armored/enemy tanks.

Dimensions and Weight

Overall Length

950mm

37. 40 inches

Barrel length

950mm

37. 40 inches

Cured weight

17.42 lbs

7.90 kg

Attractions

Standard iron; optional optical set.

Action

Shoulder-fired; single-shot; reusable launch tube

Cartridges and Paper Feeds

Caliber*

40mm

Circle/Feed

Single Shot

POWER

Maximum efficiency. Arrived

984 feet

(300m | 328m)

Rate of fire

4

Number of revolutions

Mile speed

377 ft/s

(115m/s)

VARIANTS

RPG-7 - Base series designation RPG-7V1 - Base production model designation RPG-7V - Single stage HEAT projectile; up to 330mm penetration. RPG-7VL - Single-stage HEAT projectile; penetration up to 500 mm; anti-vehicle and anti-fortification. RPG-VR - Tandem HEAT projectile; penetration up to 600-700 mm; heavily armored targets, including reactive armor. OG-7V - Fragmentation projectile; 23 ft effective range; anti-human.

TBG-7V - Single stage thermobaric bomb; 33 ft effective range; anti-human; urban use. RPG-7V2 - RPG-7 model currently in use RPG-7D3 - Paratrooper model Type 69 RPG - Chinese production designation RPG-7USA - American designation; Picatinny RailsB-41 - Cambodia and Vietnam designations