Kewl.
Wonder how it compares to the US Bazooka or LAW:
Posted on 12/11/2005 1:49:26 AM PST by RusIvan
Russian RPG Line Dominates World Market for Man-Portable Anti-Armor Weapons
NEWTOWN, Conn. (December 5, 2005) ¯ As the role of a man-portable anti-armor weapon continues to morph from a dedicated anti-tank weapon to a general-purpose fire support asset for light and medium forces, the international market for man-portable anti-armor and bunker buster weapons remains robust. In its annual analysis, "The World Market for Man-Portable Anti-Armor and Bunker Buster Weapons," the Forecast International Weapons Group expects the market will produce nearly 1.9 million weapons, worth $5.33 billion, through 2014.
Dean Lockwood, a weapons systems analyst at Forecast International, notes the Russian RPG (Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomet) line of weapons continues to dominate this market. Under the auspices of the Rosoboronexport organization, the combined output of Russian defense contractors will account for over 68 percent of man-portable anti-armor and bunker buster weapon production, worth over 51 percent of the total market value, through 2014. The most significant production will involve the Russian RPG-26 and RPG-27. According to Lockwood, "Combined production of these two weapons will account for over 54 percent of all new production, worth over 31 percent of the total market value, through 2014." Nevertheless, the ubiquitous RPG-7 remains the man-portable anti-armor weapon of choice worldwide. Through 2014, the RPG-7 (and the follow-on RPG-16) – as well as various licensed and unlicensed copies – will account for nearly 8 percent of all new production, worth 5.63 percent of the total market value.
(Excerpt) Read more at forecastinternational.com ...
I will assume that it is price that drives the market.
The numbers cited in the article lead to that conclusion.
Apparently the Europeans produce a better quality weapon but price wins out.
Price is one thing. Also, the RPG usual suspects are simple to use and effective. Unlike our standard AT wpns they are non-reusable while the Russians can fire a RPG and carry the rounds with them.
Kewl.
Wonder how it compares to the US Bazooka or LAW:
Riddle me this. Why can't we flood the RPG market with knock offs that simply explode when fired?????????
This seems like a very simple solution. It would kill a lot of the enemy. It would make the hesitant to use their own weapons or to use the normal black market purchasing plan. It could be applied to many other weapons (MANPADS, grenades, landmines, even rifle ammo (to ruin the weapon).
Our current weapons (SMAW) are quite reloadable. They just encase the round in a sealed tube which attaches to the launcher.
Why can't we flood the RPG market with knock offs that simply explode when fired????????? ==
IMO by same logic you may flood the market of your enemy with poisoned food. Why not cheaper and same effect. Kills lot of enemy:)).
Lot's of difference. Only my enemy shoots RPG's at me. Freedom loving people don't, but they do eat food. Nation state users would have nothing to fear, as they would know exactly where their weapons came from (if they aren't buying from scumbags). Only terrorists and such would have anything to fear. Large caches of blackmarket weapons would quickly become less valuable and sought after.
I want one of those launchers & a couple dozen rockets for the 4th of july! Man that would be a heck of a family fireworks show! 8^>
Probably do to the fact that a lot of third world countries use the same ammo & that alot of these countries are our allies & sure as God made little green apples some of your "April Fools joke" ordnance would get into their inventory.
Also would want to be a U.S. Special Forces team member on a training mission to a friendly govt. that uses a lot of East Bloc ammo/iron with the booby trap ammo floating around.
Furthermore be advised we (the USA) use Eatern Bloc gear as well when we go into countries unannounced & the guys are carrying weapons that are "sterile" ie can't be traced back to government of origin.
RPO-A
This weapon is designed against bunkers, buildings, personnel, and light armored vehicles. It uses a thermobaric (fuel air explosive)warhead, has sights calibrated to 600 meters, is reloadable, and weighs 27 pounds loaded and is one yard long. Fired into a building the blast would be very impressive, I'm sure.
The 105 mm RPG-27 is designed as an antitank weapon.
This weapon is rated as having a 200 meter range and the warhead to penetrate 30 inches of high strength "rolled homogeneous armor" protected by ERA, "explosive reactive armor". There is no reason to believe to these specs are untrue.
RPG-29 is considered very effective with dual and triple shaped charge warheads.
The weapon is rated to penetrate 30 inches of high strength "rolled homogeneous armor" protected by ERA.
It does appear that either of these weapons can penetrate an M1A1 Abrams equipped with the most protective armor suite from the sides, rear, and top. There are reports of newer RPG-29 warheads that can penetrate the most heavily armored types of M1A1s from any angle.
Point of introduction would prevent most problems. Lacing caches in Iraq with bad ordnance, should provide zero threat to Indian RPG users. I'm not talking about wholesaling the stuff. As for the chance that one of our guys would grab a bad round from the enemy and use it. I think the risk is already there, but more importantly that the benefit would far out way any possible flukes. Which ally of ours would have anything to fear from us lacing RPGs and ammo in Iraq with booby-trapped ordnance???? The friendly Iraqis shouldn't be using out of the same stockpiles, right? If you wanted to, you could put a non-obvious identifier on the stuff. Say one of those radio chip identifiers they're putting in CDs at WalMart. If one in every 50 RPGs that the terrorists had exploded when fired, it would cripple them. With a proper amount of publicity it could effectively deprive them of the use of the weapon.
1. Reusable launch tube.
2.Cheap.
3. Easy enough for most dumba$$es to use.
4.Cheap.
5. No battery problem(s).
6. Cheap.
7. Not made by the evil Satan.
8. Cheap.
You forgot cheap.
He mentions using the Panzerfaust which was really effective on Russian tanks. I suspect this is a development of that weapon.
The real step up though is a guidance system. ATGMs hit with pinpoint accuracy to several km ranges and kill what they hit. I am very glad the world's troublemakers don't use them, and use unguided RPGs instead. The reason is they can't afford them - the per shot cost looks especially daunting - and they take significantly more training to use. (Though, e.g., the Egyptian army had no great trouble mastering them).
Also, isn't it special what the Russians are proud of?
The US (which invented the bazooka during WW II) copied back the improved German version, the panzerschreck, as the 3.5 inch bazookas used in Korea. The earlier US 60mm versions proved inadequate against Russian tanks.
Yea I tossed an VN era LAWS one time. Did a real nice job on the stone building it was aimed at. AT-4 seems awfully short range to me but I read the our troops make good use of them in Iraq against buildings etc. A TOW would be more my style I guess. But chucking RPG's 700 yards into troop formations would be a real psych advantage.
and the Russians need something to be proud of.
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