The famous RPG-7 is in use with over 40 countries. By Staff Writer
The RPG-7 was the Soviet-produced follow-up in the RPG-series of anti-tank rocket launchers. The RPG designation is often referred to as 'Rocket Propelled Grenade' but the designation officially stands for 'Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomet' meaning Hand-held Anti-tank Grenade Launcher. The RPG-series itself can trace its roots back to the American Bazooka and German Panzerfaust anti-tank rocket launcher systems development during World War Two.
The system is an inexpensive-to-produce and easy-to-operate one-man single-shot anti-tank weapon system designed to disrupt armor at close ranges. The weapon is designed in a plethora of variants and is a favor of fast-moving guerilla outfits needing the 'shoot and scoot' ability that this system offers.
The RPG-7 itself is a further development of past variations (from the RPG-2, RPG-3 and RPG-4) of the original design. It can fire a variety of warheads including fragmentation, HEAT and high-explosive rounds. Sighting is traditional through static sights but optics can be fitted to the tube if needed.
Not surprisingly, the RPG is a favorite guerilla weapon in many of the former Soviet-supported satellite states including Iraq and Afghanistan. It is produced in no fewer than a dozen countries (with China producing their own as the Type 69) and can be found in nearly 40 countries worldwide.
Its effectiveness is not necessarily in the ability to stop armored vehicles but moreso in the shock and disruption value afforded to such a compact weapon system (the airborne variant designated as the RPG-7D is designed to be broken down into sections for the compact-minded paratrooper). The 'backsplash' of the rocket firing is also somewhat minimal, allowing the weapon to be fired from indoors as well as outdoors.
The system itself can be somewhat crude in the method of operation (utilizing the traditional sights), yet the role they have played in urban warfare throughout Iraq has been commonly documented.
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Image Courtesy of the United States Department of Defense
1961
Designation:RPG-7 Classification Type:Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher Manufacturer:Bazalt - Russia; Defense Industries Organization - Iran; Airtronic USA, Incorporated - USA Country of Origin: Soviet Union
RPG-7V1 - Base Production Model Designation
RPG-7V - Single-stage HEAT projectile; up to 330mm penetration.
RPG-7VL - Single-stage HEAT projectile; up to 500mm penetration; anti-vehicle and anti-fortification.
RPG-VR - Tandem HEAT projectile; up to 600-700mm penetration; heavy-armored targets including reactive armor.
OG-7V - Fragmentation Projectile; 23ft effective range; anti-personnel.
TBG-7V - Single-stage thermobaric projectile; 33ft effective range; anti-personnel; urban usage.
RPG-7V2 - Current RPG-7 Model in use
RPG-7D3 - Paratrooper Model
Type 69 RPG - Chinese Production Designation
RPG-7USA - US designation; Picatinny Rails
B-41 - Cambodian and Vietnamese Designation
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