PG-7VR
Encyclopedia
The PG-7VR is a tandem charge RPG warhead
designed to penetrate up to 600 mm rolled homogeneous armour
equivalence of explosive reactive armor and the conventional armor underneath. It is also capable of penetrating two metres of brick or 1.5m of reinforced concrete; this is the normal penetration of the main charge.
It was designed in 1988 by the Soviet Union
weapons company Bazalt
and based on the RPG-7
but modified to penetrate explosive reactive armour. The small precursor charge at the tip of the rocket is designed to hit the reactive armour before the main charge and detonate it. The reactive armour plate should deploy, exploding and disrupting the precursor charge's HEAT
jet. As reactive armor is single usage only, this renders that particular block of reactive armor useless and unable to protect against the much larger and more powerful main shaped charge
, which follows immediately behind. The main charge (filled with 1.43kg OKFOL
) then explodes in the unprotected part of the target.
This weapon has been showing up in use by Iraqi insurgents
and is claimed by some sources to have once achieved a mobility kill
against an M1 Abrams
hitting the left side hull next to the forward section of the engine compartment. It penetrated a fuel tank, flooding the compartment with fuel.
Warhead
The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...
designed to penetrate up to 600 mm rolled homogeneous armour
Rolled homogeneous armour
Rolled homogeneous armour is a type of steel which is used to armour vehicles.-Composition:Armoured steel must be hard yet impervious to shock in order to resist high velocity metal projectiles. Steel with these characteristics is produced by processing cast steel billets of appropriate size and...
equivalence of explosive reactive armor and the conventional armor underneath. It is also capable of penetrating two metres of brick or 1.5m of reinforced concrete; this is the normal penetration of the main charge.
It was designed in 1988 by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
weapons company Bazalt
Bazalt
Weapons manufacturing company in Russia that took over or continued the production of weapons such as the RPG-7 after the collapse of the Soviet Union and today manufactures the RPG-7V2 and the RPG-29.From the English page of the company website:...
and based on the RPG-7
RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
but modified to penetrate explosive reactive armour. The small precursor charge at the tip of the rocket is designed to hit the reactive armour before the main charge and detonate it. The reactive armour plate should deploy, exploding and disrupting the precursor charge's HEAT
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
jet. As reactive armor is single usage only, this renders that particular block of reactive armor useless and unable to protect against the much larger and more powerful main shaped charge
Shaped charge
A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, to initiate nuclear weapons, to penetrate armor, and in the oil and gas industry...
, which follows immediately behind. The main charge (filled with 1.43kg OKFOL
OKFOL
OKFOL is an explosive, used in a variety of applications. It is particularly suitable for use in shaped charges. It normally consists of 95% HMX and 5% wax. It has a density of 1.777 grams per cubic centimetre and an explosive velocity of 8,670 metres per second....
) then explodes in the unprotected part of the target.
This weapon has been showing up in use by Iraqi insurgents
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
and is claimed by some sources to have once achieved a mobility kill
Mobility kill
A mobility kill in armoured warfare refers to a weapon or vehicle that is immobilized, or the act of immobilizing such a target. Typically this term is used to refer to tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles that have their engines, tracks, or running gear damaged...
against an M1 Abrams
M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
hitting the left side hull next to the forward section of the engine compartment. It penetrated a fuel tank, flooding the compartment with fuel.
External links
See also
- PanzerfaustPanzerfaustThe Panzerfaust was an inexpensive, recoilless German anti-tank weapon of World War II. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a high explosive anti-tank warhead, operated by a single soldier...
- RPG-2RPG-2The RPG-2 was the first rocket-propelled grenade launcher designed in the Soviet Union.-Development:The RPG-2 , was a man-portable, shoulder-launched rocket-propelled grenade anti-armor weapon...
- RPG-7RPG-7The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
- Yasin
- Type 69 RPGType 69 RPGThe Type 69 85mm rocket propelled grenade , made by Norinco, is a Chinese copy of the famous RPG-7 developed by the Soviet Union. First introduced in the early 1970s, the Type 69 RPG is a common individual anti-tank weapon in service with the PLA...
- BazaltBazaltWeapons manufacturing company in Russia that took over or continued the production of weapons such as the RPG-7 after the collapse of the Soviet Union and today manufactures the RPG-7V2 and the RPG-29.From the English page of the company website:...
— Russian manufacturer of the RPG-7 & RPG-29