RPG-27 (Tavolga)

Man-Portable, Rocket-Propelled Grenade

Soviet Union | 1989

"The Soviet-era RPG-27 was a larger-diameter offshoot of the earlier RPG-26, developed to contend with improved armor protection appearing in the West,"

Image from official RosOboronExport marketing materials.

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the RPG-27 (Tavolga). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

655 ft
199.6 m | 218.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range

1
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

395 ft/sec
120 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Physical
The physical qualities of the RPG-27 (Tavolga). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,155 mm
45.47 in
O/A Length

1,155 mm
45.47 in
Barrel Length

16.76 lb
7.60 kg
Weight

Trigger-Actuated; Single-Shot.
Action

105mm
Caliber(s)

Single-Shot, Disposable Launch Tube.
Feed

Iron Front and Rear.
Sights

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the RPG-27 (Tavolga) Man-Portable, Rocket-Propelled Grenade family line.

RPG-27 ("Tavolga") - Base Series Designation.

RShG-1 ("Reaktivnaya Shturmovaya Granata") - Thermobaric warhead development of 2011; light armor usage.

RMG ("Reaktivnaya Mnogotselevaya Granata") - Multirole / multipurpose variant.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/29/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

World War 2 (1939-1945) solidified the tank as a core component of land warfare. In turn, this gave rise to counter-tank solutions that coincided with advancements in rocketry and portability of systems centered on armor-defeating weapons such as the German "Panzerfaust" and American "BAZOOKA" series (both detailed elsewhere on this site). As the Cold War between East and West settled into a relatively stalemate following the close of the Second World War, both sides continued development of tank-killing measures with the Soviets developing a whole line of "RPG" (Rocket-Propelled Grenade) man-portable weapons.

In the late 1980s, the RPG-27 ("Tavolga" = "Grassy Meadow") became the latest addition to the family line that began with the RPG-2 of 1954. While the RPG-2 utilized a reusable launch tube, there was a subgroup of Anti-Tank (AT) weapons that relied on the single-shot approach with a disposable tube. In this manner, the operator could carry several of the weapons (typically three) into combat and "lighten the load" as the battle progressed. Examples of this form were the RPG-18, RPG-22, RPG-26, and - the focus of this article - the RPG-27.

The man-portable disposable weapon was a technically sound battlefield solution. It involved a two-piece launch tube that could collapse on itself for ease-of-transport (with the ready rocket already inside) and was extended to the fullest when made ready-to-fire. Aiming could be done either through iron sights or optics if integrated depending on the design. The result was an AT measure that, if the rocket's warhead allowed, could repel any modern tank of the day. In the West, this role eventually fell to the M72 "Light Anti-tank Weapon" - or "LAW" among other tank-killers.

Originating as an evolved form of the earlier RPG-26 series, the larger-diameter RPG-27 centered on a fin-stabilized, rocket-propelled projectile (tandem-charge HEAT warhead) of 105mm caliber and rated against Rolled Homogenous Armor (RHA) (750mm), Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) blocks (add-on armor protection), concrete / fortified (1,500mm), and earth (3,700mm). The rockets reached a muzzle velocity of 120 meters-per-second when exiting the launch tube and effective range was out to 200 meters with aiming handled by way of iron sights (as such, accuracy was reduced the further away the target was). Overall weight of the complete unit was 7.6 kilograms with an overall, extended length of 1,155mm.

The RPG-27 saw design work take place during the 1980s under the direction of the State Research and Production Enterprise (Bazalt) and production - along with service entry into the Soviet inventory - began in 1989. In time, variants included the thermobaric warhead "RShG-1" ("Reaktivnaya Shturmovaya Granata") for lighter-armored targets and the multirole, bunker-busting "RMG" ("Reaktivnaya Mnogotselevaya") offshoots.

Despite its lengthy battlefield career, the RPG-27 could only ever count the Soviet Union and ally Jordan as its global operators. The in-service stocks of launchers then fell to the reborn Russian Army with the fall of the Soviet Empire in 1989-1991.

It is believed that the RPG-27 has been actively used by Russian forces in its was against neighboring Ukraine following Russia's invasion of February 2022.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the RPG-27 (Tavolga). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): State Research and Production Enterprise (Bazalt) / Rosoboronexport (ROE) - Soviet Union / Russia

[ Jordan; Russia; Soviet Union (former) ]

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Image from official RosOboronExport marketing materials.

Similar
Developments of similar form-and-function, or related, to the RPG-27 (Tavolga) Man-Portable, Rocket-Propelled Grenade Specifications and Pictures.

RPG-26

Going Further...
The RPG-27 (Tavolga) Man-Portable, Rocket-Propelled Grenade appears in the following collections:

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