G-MAG Issue-2 (29th OCT 2013) Issue-2 OCT-29-2013 | Page 69

The RPG-7

The RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launcher is robust, simple and lethal. It is also extremely popular.

The "original" RPG -- based on the German Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon - was eventually followed by the RPG-2, the RPG-3 and so on. The RPG-7,was developed with much improved firing range and armor piercing capabilities.

Firing an RPG-7

The RPG operator or an artillery assistant takes a propelling charge (booster) and screws it onto the end of a warhead. After assembling the artillery,it is loaded into the front end of the RPG launcher so that it lines up with the trigger mechanism.

After the RPG operator pulls the trigger,

The force of the built-up gases throws the grenade out of the tube at approximately 384 feet per second (117 meters per second). The abrupt acceleration of the grenade leaving the launcher triggers a piezoelectric fuse that ignites the primer (pyro-retarding gunpowder mixture). This then ignites the squib of nitro, thereby activating the rocket propulsion system (sustainer motor) to carry the grenade the rest of its trajectory.

A socket in the breach block alleviates recoil during firing. The exhaust gases exit to the rear of the launcher unit and the operator is free to immediately reload the weapon.

Though over forty years have passed since the 1961 introduction of the RPG, the rocket-propelled grenade remains one of the most common and effective infantry weapons currently in use. Rugged and simple, suitable for downing helicopters, disabling tanks or attacking buildings at close range, in the hands of a skilled operator, the RPG is a lethal and versatile weapon that will remain popular for some more time with great room for modification(like laser guidance systems, GPS technology to improve accuracy etc.).

Launcher:

Length - 40 inches (1,020 mm)

Weight (entire system) - 14.8 pounds (6.7 kg) Rocket:

Caliber- 3.3 inches (84 mm)

Muzzle Velocity- 950 feet per second (290 mps)

Length - 18 inches (460 mm)

Weight - 4 pounds (1.8 kg)

Maximum Effective Range - 985 feet (300 meters)

Penetration - 15.8 inches (400 mm) of rolled homogenous armor

By,

Ravi Krishna Subramani