RPG-29 | |
---|---|
Type | Rocket-propelled grenade |
Place of origin | Soviet Union |
Service history | |
In service | 1989–present |
Used by | See Operators |
Wars | War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War [1] 2006 Lebanon War Syrian Civil War [2] 2014 Gaza War War in Iraq (2013–2017) Israel–Hamas war |
Production history | |
Designer | Bazalt |
Designed | late 1980s |
Manufacturer | Bazalt [3] |
Produced | 1989 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 12.1 kg (27 lb) unloaded (with optical sight) 18.8 kg (41 lb) loaded (ready to fire) |
Length | 1 m (3 ft 3 in) (dismantled for transport) 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) (ready to fire) |
Cartridge | PG-29V tandem rocket TBG-29V thermobaric rounds |
Caliber | 105 mm (4.1 in) barrel 65 and 105 mm (2.6 and 4.1 in) warheads |
Rate of fire | 2 rounds per minute |
Muzzle velocity | 280 m/s (920 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 500 m (1,600 ft) 800 m (2,600 ft) (with tripod and fire control unit) [4] |
Sights | Iron, optical, and night sights available with ranges up to 450 m (1,480 ft); automated day and day-night sights with laser rangefinder [4] |
Blast yield | 750 mm (30 in) RHA 650 mm (26 in) RHA after ERA 1,500 mm (59 in) Reinforced concrete 3,700 mm (150 in) Log and earth fortification |
The RPG-29 "Vampir" is a Soviet reusable rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher. Adopted by the Soviet Army in 1989, it was the last RPG to be adopted by the Soviet military before the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The RPG-29 has since been supplemented by other rocket-propelled systems, such as the RPG-30 and RPG-32.
The RPG-29 is a shoulder-fired, unguided, tube-style, breech-loading anti-tank rocket system with an effective range of 500 m (1,600 ft). [5] The light weapon is designed to be carried and used by one soldier. Atop the launch tube is a 2.7× 1P38 optical sight.
When launched, the missile deploys eight fins as the rocket leaves the launcher, stabilizing the rocket during flight, up to an effective range of 500 m (1,600 ft). [6]
Three warheads are available for the weapon:
The RPG-29 is unusual among Russian anti-tank rocket launchers in that it lacks an initial propellant charge to place the projectile at a safe distance from the operator before the rocket ignites. Instead, the rocket engine starts as soon as a trigger is pulled, and burns out before the projectile leaves the barrel.
On the bottom of the tube is a shoulder brace for proper positioning along with a pistol grip trigger mechanism. A side rail on its left side accepts a 1PN51-2 night sight. [9]
The RPG-29 was developed during the late 1980s, following the development of the RPG-26, and entered service with the Soviet Army in 1989. It has recently seen intermittent use by irregular forces in the Middle East theater, including in combat against Allied forces during the Iraq War, and the 2006 Lebanon War, when it was used against Israeli forces.
The RPG-29 is believed to have been used in skirmishes against American and British forces during the initial 2003 invasion of Iraq. [10] An RPG-29 round was reported in August 2006 to have penetrated the frontal underside hull (equipped with ERA) of a Challenger 2 tank during an engagement in al-Amarah, Iraq, maiming one and wounding several other crew members, but only lightly damaging the tank, which drove home under its own power. [11]
On August 25, 2007 a PG-29V hit a passing M1 Abrams in the hull rear wounding 3 crew members.[ citation needed ] On September 5, 2007, a PG-29V hit the side turret of an M1 Abrams in Baghdad, killing 2 of the crew and wounding 1, and the tank was seriously damaged.[ citation needed ]
In May 2008, The New York Times disclosed that another M1 Abrams tank had also been damaged by an RPG-29 in Iraq, while fighting Shia militias at Sadr City. [10] The US Army ranks the RPG-29 threat to armor so high that they refused to allow the newly formed Iraqi army to buy it, fearing that it would fall into insurgent hands. [12]
During the conflict, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz stated that the RPG-29 was a major source of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) casualties in the 2006 Lebanon War. [13] Shortly before the end of the conflict the Russian Kommersant magazine acknowledged through anonymous sources the possibility of a weapons transfer between Syria and Hezbollah during the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. [14]
During the Syrian Civil War, Syrian Opposition Forces and Islamic State (ISIL) both used RPG-29s. [15]
The cartels are known to have smuggled RPG-29s with some seized by Mexican forces. [16]
During the 2014 Gaza War, Hamas had RPG-29s in their inventory. [17]
During the Iraqi Civil War, ISIL has used RPG-29s in Iraq, probably ones taken in Syria. And anti-ISIL Shia militias in Iraq have also used RPG-29s, the Iranian produced "Ghadir", which was supplied by Iran.
A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired rocket weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor which propels the RPG towards the target and they are stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable with new rocket-propelled grenades, while others are single-use. RPGs are generally loaded from the front.
The Bazooka is a man-portable recoilless anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army, especially during World War II. Also referred to as the "stovepipe", the innovative Bazooka was among the first generation of rocket-propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat. Featuring a solid-propellant rocket for propulsion, it allowed for high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge warheads to be delivered against armored vehicles, machine gun nests, and fortified bunkers at ranges beyond that of a standard thrown grenade or mine. The universally applied nickname arose from the weapon's M1 variant's vague resemblance to the musical instrument called a bazooka invented and popularized by 1930s American comedian Bob Burns.
The 9M133 Kornet is a Russian man-portable anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) intended for use against main battle tanks. It was first introduced into service with the Russian army in 1998.
Missile d'Infanterie Léger Antichar or MILAN is a Franco-West German anti-tank guided missile system. Design of the MILAN began in 1962; it was ready for trials in 1971, and accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire-guided semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) missile, which means the sight of the launch unit must be aimed at a target to guide the missile. The MILAN can be equipped with a MIRA or MILIS thermal sight to give it night-firing ability.
The M79 Osa is a Yugoslav-made portable 90 mm anti-tank weapon made of fibre-reinforced plastics. It resembles the French portable anti-tank launcher 89 mm LRAC F1. It consists of the launcher, a CN-6 sighting piece, rocket and carrying case for the rocket. The M79 shoots unguided projectiles in direct sight and is effective against armoured fighting vehicles and fortifications.
The RPG-7 is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket launcher. The RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and are now manufactured by the Russian company Bazalt. The weapon has the GRAU index 6G3.
The M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm (2.6 in) unguided anti-tank weapon.
The M47 Dragon, known as the FGM-77 during development, is an American shoulder-fired, man-portable anti-tank guided missile system. It was phased out of U.S. military service in 2001, in favor of the newer FGM-148 Javelin system.
The RPG-27 is a Soviet single shot disposable rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) shoulder-fired missile and rocket launcher. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1989.
The RPG-2 is a man-portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon that was designed in the Soviet Union. It was the first successful anti-tank weapon of its type, being a successor to the earlier and unsuccessful rocket-propelled grenade RPG-1.
The 9M14 Malyutka is a manual command to line of sight (MCLOS) wire-guided anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system developed in the Soviet Union. It was the first man-portable anti-tank guided missile of the Soviet Union and is probably the most widely produced ATGM of all time—with Soviet production peaking at 25,000 missiles a year during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, copies of the missile have been manufactured under various names by at least six countries.
The 9M113 Konkurs is a Soviet SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile.
The RPG-18 Mukha is a Soviet short-range, disposable light anti-tank rocket launcher designed in 1972. It was based on the M72 LAW.
The RPG-16 is a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher for anti-tank warfare. It was developed in 1968 and adopted by the Soviet Army in 1970 for special operation teams and the Soviet airborne troops (VDV). These were deployed during the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) and saw service during several battles in that conflict.
The Type 69 85mm RPG, made by Norinco, is a Chinese variant of the Soviet RPG-7. First introduced in 1972, the Type 69 is a common individual anti-tank weapon in service with the PLA. More advanced grenade rounds were developed in the 1980s and 1990s to meet the requirements of modern battlefields. Eventually, the aging Type 69 RPG family was replaced by more modern anti-tank weapon systems developed by China such as the Type 89 and Type 08.
The Raad or RAAD is an Iranian wire-guided anti-tank guided missile based on the Soviet 9M14M Malyutka missile. The Raad began mass production in 1988 and was publicly unveiled in 1997. It is manufactured by Parchin Missile Industries, a subsidiary of Iran's Defense Industries Organization.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, has an exceptionally strong military wing, thought to be stronger than the Lebanese Army and equivalent to the armed strength of a medium-sized army. A hybrid force, the group maintains "robust conventional and unconventional military capabilities", and is generally considered to be the most powerful non-state actor in the world.
The Toophan is an Iranian SACLOS anti-tank guided missile reverse-engineered from the American BGM-71 TOW missile. The Toophan 1, an unlicensed copy of the BGM-71A TOW missile, began mass production in 1988 and the Toophan 2, a BGM-71C ITOW variant, was publicly shown in 2000.
The Saegheh is any of at least eight completely separate Iranian weapons systems: a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) warhead, an anti-tank guided missile family, a surface-to-surface rocket, a target drone family, an air-to-air missile, a claimed stealth unmanned aerial vehicle, a fighter jet, and an anti-ship cruise missile.
The 9K115-2 Metis-M is a Russian portable anti-tank guided missile system. "9K115-2" is the GRAU designation of the missile system. The Metis-M1 is the latest upgraded variant of Metis-M. The system is designed to augment the combat power of company-level motorized units.
They've gotten some specialized training, some weaponry like the RPG-29 – which is one of the best Eastern bloc RPGs out there – and they use them to hit M1 tanks.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)