RGD-5
Encyclopedia
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
"Hand Grenade of the Degtyareva design", is a post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Soviet anti-personnel fragmentation grenade
Fragmentation grenade
A fragmentation grenade is an anti-personnel weapon that is designed to disperse shrapnel upon exploding. The body is made of hard plastic or steel. Flechettes, notched wire, ball bearings or the case itself provide the fragments...
, designed in the early 1950s. RGD-5 was accepted to service in 1954, is still in service with many of Russia's former client state
Client state
Client state is one of several terms used to describe the economic, political and/or military subordination of one state to a more powerful state in international affairs...
s and has been supplied to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
as well as other Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
nations.
Composition
It contains a 110 gramGram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
charge of TNT with an internal fragmentation liner that produces around 350 fragments
Fragmentation (weaponry)
Fragmentation is the process by which the casing of an artillery shell, bomb, grenade, etc. is shattered by the detonating high explosive filling. The correct technical terminology for these casing pieces is fragments , although shards or splinters can be used for non-preformed fragments...
. The weight of the grenade with the fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
fitted is 310 grams. Typically, the RGD-5 uses the 3.2 to 4 second UZRGM fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
, a universal Russian type which is also used in the RG-41
RG-41
The Soviet RG-41 stick grenade was an anti-tank weapon developed during World War II. It contained a 150 g high explosive charge. The total weight of the grenade with the fuse was about 0.44 kilograms. It used the 3.5 to 4 second UZRGM fuze...
, RG-42
RG-42
The Soviet RG-42 was a fragmentation grenade originally introduced during World War II as an emergency measure, continuing in use with the USSR and its Warsaw Pact allies in the post-war period. It contained about 200 grams of explosive charge in a cylindrical can. The grenade could be thrown...
, and F1 grenades. The RGD-5 may be fitted with the more modern DVM-78 fuze, or variants of the UZRGM with delays of between zero (i.e. instantaneous for use in booby trap
Booby trap
A booby trap is a device designed to harm or surprise a person, unknowingly triggered by the presence or actions of the victim. As the word trap implies, they often have some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. However, in other cases the device is placed on busy roads or is...
s) and 13 seconds. It is also possible to screw an MUV booby-trap firing device into the fuze well.
Description
The grenade is egg-shaped with no external ribbing, except for a lateral ridge where the two halves of the grenade join. The surface has a few small dimples on it with a green or olive drab, paint-scheme. The RGD-4 can be thrown about 35 to 45 meters by the average male soldier and when thrown, it is possible to hear a loud "pop" as the fuze ignites and begins to burn. The grenade can inflict injuries (e.g. penetrating eyeHuman eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
wounds) out to 15 metres from the site of detonation. Victims caught within 3 metres of the detonation site are almost certain to be killed or severely wounded.
This grenade is still manufactured in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
with copies produced in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(as the Type 59) and Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. Many millions of RGD-5s and its clones have been manufactured over the years and although not as advanced as more modern grenades which are specifically designed to penetrate CRISAT
CRISAT
CRISAT, short for Collaborative Research Into Small Arms Technology, is an EU-NATO standard in the manufacture of military equipment. The CRISAT target is defined as a 1.6mm titanium plate supplemented by 20 layers of Kevlar. This target is intended to replicate the personal protection used by...
standard body armour, the RGD-5 is still an effective and inexpensive weapon. A single RGD-5 grenade costs around $5 US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, making it highly affordable during a major conflict when many grenades are required.
The URG-N is a reusable training model of the RGD-5 of cast iron construction (rather than sheet steel) and a modified fuze containing a compound which simulates the detonation of the grenade. The body of this grenade is painted black with white markings.
History
A remarkable incident occurred in TbilisiTbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
on May 10, 2005 at a speech given by U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. An RGD-5 grenade was thrown and landed 61 feet (about 18.5m) from the president. The grenade was live and had its pin pulled, but did not explode because a red tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
handkerchief wrapped tightly around the grenade kept the firing pin from deploying quickly enough. Vladimir Arutinian
Vladimir Arutinian
Vladimir Arutyunian is an ethnic Armenian born in Georgia known for his 10 May 2005 attempt to assassinate United States President George W. Bush and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili which failed when the hand grenade he threw at the two failed to detonate...
was convicted of throwing the grenade.