RPG-7
The RPG-7 (Russian: РПГ-7, Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт, romanized: Ruchnoy Protivotankovyy Granatomot, lit. 'Handheld Anti-Tank Grenade-launcher') 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 (Russian armed forces index) 6G3.
| RPG-7 | |
|---|---|
An RPG-7 launcher (top) with a Bulgarian PG-7G inert training warhead and booster (bottom) | |
| Type | Handheld rocket launcher |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1961–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | See Conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bazalt |
| Designed | 1958 |
| Manufacturer | Bazalt and Degtyarev plant (Russian Federation) |
| Unit cost | c. US$2500 |
| Produced | 1958–present |
| No. built | 9,000,000+ |
| Variants |
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.3 kg (13.9 lb) (without a telescopic sight) 7 kg (15.4 lb) (with PGO-7) |
| Length | 950 mm (37.4 in) |
| Cartridge | 85 mm (3.3 in) |
| Caliber | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Muzzle velocity | 115 m/s (380 ft/s) (boost) 300 m/s (980 ft/s) (flight) |
| Effective firing range | 330 m (1,080 ft) (PG-7V) |
| Maximum firing range | 700 m (2,300 ft) (OG-7V) (self detonates at ~920 m (3,020 ft)) |
| Sights | PGO-7 (2.7×), UP-7V telescopic sight and 1PN51/1PN58 night vision sights Red dot reflex sight |
The ruggedness, simplicity, low cost, and effectiveness of the RPG-7 has made it the most widely used anti-armor weapon in the world. Currently around 40 countries use the weapon; it is manufactured in several variants by nine countries. It is popular with irregular and guerrilla forces.
Widely produced, the most commonly seen major variations are the RPG-7D (десантник – desantnik – paratrooper) model, which can be broken into two parts for easier carrying; and the lighter Chinese Type 69 RPG. DIO of Iran manufactures RPG-7s with olive green handguards, H&K pistol grips, and a commando variant.
The RPG-7 was first delivered to the Soviet Army in 1961 and deployed at the squad level. It replaced the RPG-2, having clearly out-performed the intermediate RPG-4 design during testing. The current model produced by the Russian Federation is the RPG-7V2, capable of firing standard and dual high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, high explosive/fragmentation, and thermobaric warheads, with a UP-7V sighting device fitted (used in tandem with the standard 2.7× PGO-7 optical sight) to allow the use of extended range ammunition. The RPG-7D3 is the equivalent paratrooper model. Both the RPG-7V2 and RPG-7D3 were adopted by the Russian Ground Forces in 2001.