After the end of World War II, the arsenal of the Soviet infantry had anti-tank 14, 5-mm guns and hand-held cumulative grenades RPG-43 and RPG-6, which no longer corresponded to modern realities. Anti-tank rifles, which showed themselves well in the initial period of the war, could not penetrate the armor of promising tanks even when fired at close range, and the use of hand-held anti-tank grenades was associated with a very high risk. The Soviet military leadership was well aware of the need to create light and effective anti-tank weapons capable of fighting not only existing, but also promising tanks. Although the development of rocket-propelled grenade launchers, firing cumulative grenades, began during the war years, they entered service in the post-war period.
In 1942, in SKB No. 36 of the USSR People's Commissariat of the Oil Industry under the leadership of the chief designer N. G. Grigoryan, the design of the LNG-82 easel grenade launcher began. Initially, the developers planned to use a "turbojet" grenade, the stabilization of which on the trajectory was carried out by rotation. However, tests have shown that when rotating at a speed of several hundred revolutions per second, a strong "splashing" of the cumulative jet occurs, which negatively affects the penetration resistance. In this regard, it was decided to redesign the cumulative ammunition and make it non-rotating. After that, the designer P. P. Shumilov.
In the tail section of the PG-82 grenade, an annular stabilizer with six rigid feathers was placed on the jet engine nozzle. A charge of smokeless nitroglycerin powder was used as a jet fuel. A cumulative grenade weighing 4.5 kg could penetrate 175 mm homogeneous armor.
The thin-walled barrel of the SPG-82 grenade launcher consisted of a breech and a muzzle, which were connected by a coupling. The barrel, in turn, was mounted on a wheel-driven machine with a folding shield. The main purpose of the shield was to protect the crew from the effects of the propellant gases of the jet engine. When fired, the glazed viewing windows in the shield were automatically closed by metal protective shutters. A shoulder rest and a mechanical sight were attached to the barrel. The shot was fired using a self-cocking firing mechanism.
The calculation of the easel grenade launcher consisted of three people: the gunner, the loader and the ammunition carrier. The direct firing range of the LNG-82 easel grenade launcher was 200 meters, and the combat rate of fire was up to 6 rds / min. The mass of the SPG-82 in the firing position is 32 kg, which was even less than that of the SG-43 machine gun on a wheeled machine. The LNG-82 easel grenade launcher was put into service in the 1950 year. For that time, it was a fairly effective weapon capable of penetrating the frontal armor of most modern tanks.
Organizationally, the easel 82-mm grenade launchers were the anti-tank weapon of the motorized rifle battalion. The baptism of fire of the SPG-82 took place in Korea. With sufficient effectiveness against armored targets, it turned out that it was desirable to introduce fragmentation ammunition into the ammunition load. In this regard, the OG-82 fragmentation grenade was developed. The firing range of a fragmentation grenade was 700 m. The introduction of a fragmentation grenade made it possible to expand the combat capabilities of the grenade launcher. It became possible, in addition to fighting tanks, to successfully solve the problem of defeating the enemy's firepower and manpower.
Simultaneously with the 82-mm grenade launcher, its enlarged 122-mm version was designed. During the tests of the LNG-122, it turned out that it needs improvement, since, due to the powerful jet stream, it poses a danger to its calculation. The modified grenade launcher, designated SG-122, was successfully tested. Its combat rate of fire was 5 rds / min, and its weight was 45 kg. With a direct shot range of 200 m, the SG-122 cumulative grenade could penetrate 300 mm of armor. Since the lighter and more compact SPG-82 fully met the requirements imposed on it, the SG-122 was not put into serial production.
In the 60s and 70s, as the Soviet Army was replaced with more advanced models, the SPG-82 grenade launchers were supplied to the allies of the USSR under the Warsaw Pact and to the countries of the Third World. This easel grenade launcher was actively used during hostilities in local conflicts. But at the moment it is hopelessly outdated and decommissioned.
Almost simultaneously with the SPG-82, supplies of the RPG-2 hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher began to the troops. The grenade launcher, which in many ways resembled the RPG-1, was created at the GSKB-30 Design Bureau of the Ministry of Agricultural Engineering under the leadership of A. V. Smolyakov. Having a similar device, the RPG-2 significantly surpassed the RPG-1 in terms of combat characteristics, primarily in terms of target engagement range. The RPG-2 direct shot range was doubled and amounted to 100 meters. The cumulative 82-mm over-caliber grenade PG-2 weighing 1.85 kg, after the bottom fuse was triggered, could penetrate 200 mm of armor, which made it possible to destroy heavy tanks of that time. The grenade launcher weighed 4.5 kg and had a length of 1200 mm. Although black powder was used as a propellant charge, as in the RPG-1, which was not adopted for service, by increasing the length of the launch tube and caliber from 30 to 40 mm, it was possible to significantly increase the range of the aimed shot. The design of the grenade launcher was very simple. The barrel was made from a 40-mm seamless steel pipe. In the middle part of the barrel, to protect against burns during firing and more comfortable use of the weapon in low temperatures, there were wooden lining. For aiming the weapon, a mechanical sight was used, designed for a distance of up to 150 m. A hammer-type firing mechanism with a striking mechanism ensured the reliability and convenience of firing a shot.
A cardboard sleeve filled with black gunpowder was attached to the PG-2 cumulative grenade using a threaded connection before firing. The grenade was stabilized in flight by six flexible steel feathers rolled around the tube and deployed after flying out of the barrel.
Due to the good combat and service and operational data, as well as the low cost, the RPG-2 was widely used and used in many local conflicts. In addition to fighting armored vehicles, the grenade launcher was often used during hostilities to destroy firing points and light fortifications. RPG-2 was widely supplied to the allies of the USSR, and a number of countries received a license for its production. Since in the late 60s - early 70s, the thickness of the armor of western tanks increased markedly, in order to increase the armor penetration in Poland and the PRC, they developed their own cumulative grenades with better characteristics. The DPRK also adopted a grenade with a fragmentation shirt, which could be effectively used against manpower.
The RPG-2 was a very successful weapon; during its creation, technical solutions were laid, which later became basic in the creation of more advanced grenade launchers. Chinese copies of the RPG-2 are still in service in a number of Asian and African countries. At the same time, the grenade launcher was not devoid of flaws. The use of black powder, which had a low energy potential, in the propellant charge, when fired, led to the formation of a cloud of thick white smoke, unmasking the grenade launcher position. In conditions of high humidity, the cardboard sleeve swelled, which made loading difficult, and the gunpowder itself, becoming damp, became unsuitable for shooting. Due to the low initial speed of the PG-2 grenade - 85 m / s, it was very susceptible to wind drift on the trajectory. Only a well-trained grenade launcher could hit a tank with a crosswind of 8-10 m / s at a distance of 100 meters.
In the late forties, the designers of GSKB-47 (now NPO Bazalt) created a new hand-held anti-tank grenade RKG-3. This ammunition was supposed to replace the RPG-43 and RPG-6 cumulative hand grenades in the troops. In addition to increasing armor penetration, great importance was attached to the safety of handling. With a mass of 1, 07 kg and a length of 362 mm, a well-trained soldier could throw a grenade at 20-22 m. and frontal armor of medium tanks.
Compared to the cumulative grenades developed in wartime, the design of the RGK-3 was more thoughtful. To avoid accidents, the anti-tank grenade has four protections. When preparing a grenade for use, it was required to place a fuse in the handle, and then screw it to the body. After removing the check with the ring, the movable coupling and the bar were unlocked. The inertial mechanism of a movable clutch and several balls did not allow the percussion mechanism to work before the fighter made a swing and threw a grenade towards the target. After a vigorous swing and throw, this fuse initiated the separation of the flap and the bottom cover of the handle. After the cover was dropped, a cloth stabilizer was thrown out of the handle. The opened stabilizer oriented the grenade with its head in the direction of flight and moved a special spring-loaded rod from its place, held in place by balls and a spring. Another fuse was the percussion spring. In flight, she kept the inertial load and the striker in the extreme rear position. The triggering of the inertial percussion mechanism and the detonation of the shaped charge could occur only when it hit the hard surface of the head of the grenade. Although the grenade became safer, it was only allowed to be used from cover.
In the mid-50s, improved modifications were adopted - RKG-3E and RKG-3EM. The design of the ammunition has not changed, only the shaped charge and production technology have been improved. The new grenades received a shaped charge with a copper-lined shaped charge funnel. In addition, the shape of the funnel has changed. Thanks to the modifications, the armor penetration of the RKG-3E grenade was 170 mm, and the RKG-3EM - 220 mm of homogeneous armor.
Anti-tank grenades of the RGK-3 family were the standard weapon of the Soviet infantry before the RPG-18 "Mukha" disposable rocket-propelled grenades were adopted. In the warehouses of the mobilization reserve of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, these grenades are still available. In Soviet times, RGK-3 was widely supplied abroad and was actively used in regional wars. During the invasion of Iraq, the US armed forces lost several tanks and armored personnel carriers from the effects of these seemingly hopelessly outdated ammunition.
In the second half of the 50s, several design bureaus were creating hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers. Anti-tank weapons of the new generation were supposed to at least double the RPG-2 in firing range and ensure the penetration of the frontal armor of all existing tanks at that time, as well as have a reserve of armor penetration, which made it possible to fight promising armored vehicles. In addition, an increase in the reliability and moisture resistance of the jet fuel charge was discussed separately.
In 1957, tests of the RPG-4, created in GSKB-47, began. In fact, the RPG-4 was an enlarged RPG-2 grenade launcher. Unlike the RPG-2, the barrel of the RPG-4 had an enlarged charging chamber and a caliber of 45 mm. That, with the simultaneous use of fuel based on nitroglycerin powder, contributed to an increase in the initial speed of the grenade and the effective range of fire. A bell appeared on the breech of the barrel in order to disperse the jet stream.
The mass of the grenade launcher was 4.7 kg, length -1200 mm. Direct firing range - 143 m. Sighting range - 300 m. Anti-tank cumulative grenade PG-2 of 83 mm caliber and weighing 1, 9 kg, along the normal could penetrate 220 mm homogeneous armor. Stabilization of the grenade on the trajectory was carried out by six lamellar blades, which are folded before the shot.
The RPG-4 anti-tank grenade launcher has successfully passed field tests, and by its characteristics it was quite satisfactory for the military. In 1961, an experimental batch of grenade launchers was produced, intended for military trials. But, as you know, the best is the enemy of the good. Almost simultaneously with the RPG-4, the customer was presented with a more advanced RPG-7, which later became a weapon classic and a grenade launcher "of all times and peoples."
During the creation of the RPG-7, the designers of the GSKB-47 took into account the experience of the combat use of domestic and foreign anti-tank grenade launchers. Specialists from the Kovrov Mechanical Plant and the Tula TsKIB SOO also took part in the development. The cumulative grenade and the jet engine were developed under the leadership of V. K. Firulina.
A unique feature of the PG-7V anti-tank grenade was the use of a piezoelectric fuse. To stabilize the grenade in flight, four expanding blades are used. In order to increase the accuracy of fire and compensate for errors in the manufacture of a grenade due to the inclination of the stabilizer blades, rotation is transmitted at a speed of several tens of revolutions per second. The over-caliber 85-mm anti-tank grenade PG-7 with a shot mass of 2, 2 kg could penetrate 260 mm armor. The initial speed of the grenade is about 120 m / s, at the end of the active section it increases to 300 m / s. Due to the relatively high initial speed and the presence of an active section of the jet engine, in comparison with the PG-2, it was possible to significantly increase the accuracy and firing range. With a direct shot range of 330 m, the sighting range is about 600 m.
The design of the RPG-7 is based on the successful technical solutions of the RPG-2 with a reusable launcher and a shot with an over-caliber warhead. In the middle part of the RPG-7 barrel there is a special charging chamber, which allows more rational use of the propellant charge energy. A bell in the breech of the barrel is designed to disperse the jet stream when fired. The RPG-7 hand grenade launcher, in addition to the mechanical sight, was equipped with an optical 2, 7-fold sight PGO-7. The telescopic sight had a rangefinder reticle scale and lateral corrections, which increases the accuracy of shooting and allows you to effectively introduce corrections taking into account the range and speed of the target. After the adoption of new, more effective cumulative grenades, sights (PGO-7V, PGO-7V-2, PGO-7V-3, etc.) were mounted on grenade launchers, which took into account the ballistics of different types of grenades. In addition to the standard optical sight, it is possible to install night sights. Grenade launchers with the "H" index have a mechanism that disables the sight at the time of the shot, to prevent it from being flashed by the flash when fired.
Depending on the modification and purpose, RPG-7 ammunition has a caliber of 40-105 mm with armor penetration up to 700 mm behind ERA, and a mass of 2 to 4.5 kg. In the 80-90s, Basalt specialists created fragmentation and thermobaric grenades for the RPG-7, which significantly expanded the flexibility of use and combat effectiveness.
In the Land Forces of the Soviet Army, there was a grenade launcher in every motorized rifle squad. The RPG-7 was the main type of anti-tank grenade launcher in the Soviet Army for decades. With a weight of 8, 5-10, 8 kg depending on the type of grenade and a length of 950 mm, the grenade launcher could hit all tanks of a potential enemy. By order of the airborne troops, the RPG-7D was created, the design of which made it possible to disassemble the barrel of the grenade launcher in preparation for the landing. The RPG-7 grenade launcher, which was put into service in 1961, is still capable of fighting modern armored vehicles thanks to the creation of high-efficiency shots for it. In terms of weight and size and combat characteristics, the criterion "cost-effectiveness", the RPG-7 with modern types of rocket-propelled grenades still has no competitors.
The RPG-7 was first used in combat in the mid-60s in Vietnam. The Vietnamese guerrillas, who already had Soviet and Chinese-made RPG-2s before that, quickly assessed the capabilities of the new grenade launcher. With the help of the RPG-7, they fought not only with American armored vehicles, but also inflicted effective strikes on transport columns and fortified positions. In the jungles of Southeast Asia, it turned out that an anti-tank grenade launcher could be an effective means of dealing with low-flying helicopters. Cases were repeatedly noted when the pilots of American attack aircraft and fighter-bombers stopped the attack or carried out an indirect bomb release, mistaking a shot from a grenade launcher for a MANPADS anti-aircraft missile. RPG-7 also performed well in Arab-Israeli conflicts.
Based on the experience of the Yom Kippur war, an “anti-tank special forces” was formed in the Syrian army, whose fighters were armed with RPG-7 grenade launchers and portable ATGMs. In 1982, the Syrian "anti-tank special forces" managed to inflict significant losses on Israeli tankmen during the fighting in Lebanon. In case of massive targeted firing from grenade launchers, the "reactive armor" of the Blazer did not always help. An indirect recognition of the high combat properties of the RPG-7 was the fact that captured Soviet grenade launchers were in service with the Israel Defense Forces. RPG-7s were actively used in armed conflicts in the post-Soviet space, becoming a kind of "Kalashnikov" among grenade launchers. The main losses of armored vehicles of the "anti-terrorist coalition" in Afghanistan and Iraq are connected with the hits of PG-7 grenades. Although the Russian Army has more modern anti-tank grenade launchers, the latest RPG-7 modifications are the most massive among the reusable grenade launchers in service. One of the most widespread and effective models of light anti-tank weapons, the RPG-7 is used in the armies of more than 50 countries. Taking into account foreign copies, the number of RPG-7 produced is approximately 2 million copies.
Simultaneously with the work on the creation of a light anti-tank grenade launcher, suitable for carrying and use by one shooter, the creation of an easel grenade launcher was carried out, which, in terms of range and firing accuracy, had to surpass the SPG-82 many times over. The command of the Ground Forces wanted to significantly increase the effective range of fire of anti-tank weapons of motorized rifle subunits.
In 1963, the 73-mm anti-tank anti-tank grenade launcher SPG-9 "Spear" was adopted. Just like RPG-7, it was created in GSKB-47 (now FSUE "Basalt"). For firing from the grenade launcher, an active-rocket-propelled grenade PG-9 was used, which accelerated after the end of the engine's operation to 700 m / s. Due to a sufficiently high flight speed, comparable to the speed of an artillery projectile, the PG-9, compared to the PG-7, had a much better hitting accuracy and a much greater range.
In the tail section of the PG-9 shot there is a jet engine, which starts up after the grenade leaves the barrel. The starting charge consists of a weighed portion of nitroglycerin powder in a cloth cap. Ignition of the starting charge is carried out by a special igniter with an electric igniter. After the grenade leaves the barrel, the six-fins are deployed. In the tail section of the PG-9 there are tracers with which you can observe the flight on the trajectory. A cumulative grenade, depending on the modification, is capable of penetrating 300-400 mm of homogeneous armor. Like the PG-7, the PG-9 grenade is equipped with a highly sensitive piezoelectric fuse.
Structurally, the SPG-9 is a lightweight breech-loading recoilless gun mounted on a tripod machine. With a barrel length of 670 mm, the effective firing range against tanks is 700 meters, which is more than double the effective firing range of the RPG-7. Rate of fire up to 6 rds / min.
In the early 70s, the troops began to receive a modernized version of the SPG-9M. The ammunition set included shots with increased armor penetration and a direct shot range increased to 900 meters. An OG-9 fragmentation grenade was adopted for the modernized easel grenade launcher. It does not have a jet engine, but only a starting powder charge. The maximum firing range of the OG-9 is 4500 meters. The new version of the grenade launcher was equipped with the PGOK-9 sighting device, which consists of two separate sights: one for firing direct-fire cumulative grenades, the second for using a fragmentation grenade.
The mass of the grenade launcher in the firing position is 48 kg, the length is 1055 mm. On the battlefield, the grenade launcher can be transported over short distances by a crew of four. For transportation over long distances, the grenade launcher is disassembled into separate units. A modification with a wheel drive has been created especially for the airborne troops. The weight and size characteristics of the SPG-9 make it possible to mount it on various vehicles and light armored vehicles. This quality turned out to be especially in demand in the Airborne Forces and in mobile reconnaissance and strike units. During regional wars, grenade launchers on mobile chassis, as a rule, were used not to combat armored vehicles, but to destroy manpower with fragmentation grenades and destroy light shelters.
The SPG-9, which replaced the SPG-82, being a fairly heavy weapon, did not deserve such fame as the RPG-7. However, this easel grenade launcher has also become widespread. In addition to the USSR, licensed production of LNG-9 grenade launchers and ammunition was carried out in a number of countries of the former Eastern Bloc. This weapon has proven itself well in many local wars. Relatively light weight and good accuracy make it possible to effectively use the SPG-9 in street battles. Soviet easel grenade launchers can be seen in reports filmed in southeastern Ukraine and Syria. At the beginning of this year, the Russian media reported that the upgraded SPG-9, equipped with new night sights, are being used by Russian special units as fire support weapons.
In 1970, a fairly unique hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher RPG-16 "Udar", created at the TKB under the leadership of I. Ye. Rogozin. The uniqueness of this sample, created specifically for the Airborne Forces, was that it used a caliber 58, 3-mm cumulative grenade PG-16, and the grenade launcher itself could be disassembled into two parts.
Due to the high initial and cruising flight speed, the direct fire range and accuracy have significantly increased. The circular probable deviation of the PG-16 at a distance of 300 m was approximately 1.5 times less than that of the PG-7V. The range of a direct shot was 520 m. At the same time, despite the relatively small caliber - 58, 3-mm, PG-16 grenade, due to the use of a more powerful explosive in combination with the copper lining of the cumulative funnel and the precise selection of the focal length had armor penetration of 300 mm … At the same time, compared to the RPG-7, the specially designed amphibious grenade launcher was larger and heavier. Its weight was 10.3 kg, and its assembled length was 1104 mm.
Surpassing the RPG-7 in effective fire range by almost two times, the RPG-16, before the appearance of new-generation tanks with multi-layered frontal armor, fully satisfied the requirements. However, despite the high accuracy and decent firing range, the RPG-16 did not have modernization potential. If the RPG-7 had the ability to increase the dimensions of the above-caliber cumulative grenade, then in the case of the PG-16 this was not possible. As a result, after the adoption of the Abrams, Challengers and Leopard-2s in NATO, the RPG-16 was rapidly outdated and the landing party completely switched to the RPG-7D with new high-power grenades. Information about the use of RPG-16 against armored vehicles could not be found, however, an amphibious assault grenade launcher with a "loaded" barrel proved to be good in Afghanistan. Since the accuracy and firing range were comparable to the distance of an aimed automatic shot, grenade launchers armed with RPG-16s effectively suppressed the firing points of the rebels. For this reason, even despite the greater weight and dimensions, "sniper grenade launchers" were popular among the military personnel of the "limited contingent". Currently, RPG-16 grenade launchers are available at storage bases and are not used in combat units of the Russian armed forces.
