RPG

The Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) is a portable, reusable, unguided anti-armor weapon that has become one of the most ubiquitous weapons on modern battlefields. The most common variant, the Soviet-designed RPG-7, has been in production since 1961 and is used by more than 40 national armies and countless irregular forces worldwide. Its combination of simplicity, low cost (as little as $500 per launcher), and lethality against armored vehicles makes it a weapon of choice for infantry, insurgents, and militias.

The RPG-7 fires a variety of warheads, including the standard PG-7VL that can penetrate approximately 500mm of rolled homogeneous armor, enough to threaten most armored personnel carriers and the side or rear armor of some tanks. More advanced tandem warheads like the PG-7VR are designed to defeat explosive reactive armor by using a precursor charge to trigger the ERA before the main warhead penetrates.

Despite its age, the RPG remains remarkably relevant. In Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine, RPGs have been used effectively against vehicles, helicopters, fortified positions, and even as improvised indirect fire weapons. Their simplicity means they require minimal training, their low cost means they are available in vast quantities, and their warhead variety means they can be adapted to different target types. Countering the RPG threat has driven significant investment in vehicle armor, active protection systems, and tactical procedures.