Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

VOG-17

Projectile Grenade / Improvised Munition [ 1970 ]

The VOG_17 is the grenade projectile used in the Soviet-era AGS-17 Plamya Automatic Grenade Launcher system.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/21/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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The VOG-17 is a cased 30x29mm grenade projectile primarily utilized in the belted Soviet-era AGS-17 ("Plamya" = "Flame") Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL) system. The projectile was introduced in 1970 and continues to see widespread service today throughout conflicts ranging from the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989) and South African Border War (1966-1990) to the Nagomo-Karabakh (2020) and Ukrainian-Russian (2022-Present) wars. Design work began in 1967 under the direction of KB Tochmash with manufacturing handled by the Molot Plant.

The projectile has proven versatile in that it can be used in the infantry-level AGS-17 system as a troop suppression weapon, on helicopters as an airborne weapon (the remotely-controlled "AG-17A"), and on vehicles via a trainable pintle mount (or remotely-controlled as in the "AGS-17D"). Despite its Soviet-era roots, the weapon is still in service with modern Russian forces and other global players.

Today (2022), the projectile is increasingly used by Ukrainian military forces as an air-droppable munitions for various non-combat and off-the-shelf drone solutions. While not an overtly powerful munition in and of itself, it can prove lethal or damaging under the right circumstances specially to unsuspecting, unprotected / "soft" targets such as infantry. In this role, the VOG-17 grenade is somewhat crudely attached to the drone in some way or another with a rudimentary release method installed to simply drop the munition onto targets / target areas below the hovering unit. Surprise gives the drone the initiative in such a scenario though accuracy is somewhat questionable.

The grenade itself is constructed with a steel cartridge casing with internal explosive filling and general fragmentation to maximize lethality, detonation had upon impact.

The VOG-17M, VOG-30, VOG-30D, and IO-30 all represent a High-Explosive (HE) round. The IO-30TP is a practice round used in training. The VUS-30 designates smoke-producing grenades in the series. Arcus of Bulgaria produces the projectile in hand grenade form as the "AR-ROG". Local production of the AGS-17 weapon is handled in China by NORINCO and in Serbia (M93) and Vietnam (SPL-17) under license. It has also been manufactured in Iraq prior to the 2003 American invasion.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1970

Origin

Soviet Union

Classification

Projectile Grenade / Improvised Munition

KB Tochmash (design) / Molot Plant (production) - Soviet Union; Arsenal AD - Bulgaria; NORth China Industries Corporation (NORINCO) - China; Serbia; Z125 Factory - Vietnam

(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)

Afghanistan; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bulgaria; Chad; China; Cuba; Czechoslovakia; Finland (former); Georgia; India; Iran; Iraq; Ivory Coast; Latvia (former); Montenegro; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nicaragua; North Korea; Russia; Serbia; Soviet Union (former); Sierra Leone; Sudan; Syria; Slovakia; Turkey; Ukraine; Vietnam

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Fire Support
Capable of suppressing enemy elements at range through direct or in-direct fire.

✓ Anti-Armor / Anti-Tank / Anti-Material
Designed to engage and defeat armor / enemy tanks at range.

✓ Special Forces
Qualities of this weapon have shown its value to Special Forces elements requiring a versatile, reliable solution for the rigors of special assignments.

✓ Special Purpose
Special purpose weapon for a specially defined battlefield role.

✓ Asymmetric Warfare
Design is highly variable / low-cost based on battlefield requirement and available materials; general use is in urban settings against an organized foe for high casualty count.

TARGET / AREA SUPPRESSION

Inherent ability to provide suppression capabilities against target / target area.

ANTI-ARMOR

Inherent ability to engage / defeat armored targets at range.

VEHICLE MOUNTING

Versatility is such that it can be mounted to vehicles as an anti-infantry / area suppression solution.

AIRCRAFT MOUNTING

Versatility is such that it can be mounted to aircraft as an anti-infantry / area suppression solution.

IN-DIRECT FIRE

Allows for the ability to arc its fire onto enemy positions / targets.

PINTLE MOUNTING

Can be mounted atop a trainable pintle assembly for additional support.

GUERILLA WARFARE

Ease-of-use coupled with relative simplicity of combined components makes this entry a cost-effective solution for unconventional elements / fighting forces.

TIMED FUSE

Detonation of this entry is reliant on timed fuse; typical quality seen in hand grenades.

IMPACT DETONATION

Detonation of this entry is reliant on impact at target / target area; typical quality seen in direct-fire weapons (rocket / missile launchers).

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Entry has an inherent psychological effect on participants of the battlefield due to potential damage / casualties.

Action

Not Applicable.

Impact Detonation
Design relies on impact on target for detonation.

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)

Caliber(s)*

30x29mm

Rounds / Feed

1

*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.

VOG-17 - Base Series Designation.

VOG-17M - High-explosive variant.

VOG-30 - High-explosive variant.

VOG-30D - High-explosive variant.

IO-30 - High-explosive variant.

IO-30TP - Practice round.

VUS-30 - Smoke round.

AR-ROG - Hand grenade model produced in Bulgaria.