RPG-18

The RPG-18 Mukha (Russian: Муха, romanized: Fly) is a Soviet short-range, disposable light anti-tank rocket launcher.

RPG-18
RPG-18 rocket launcher with PG-18 rocket
TypeRocket-propelled grenade
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1972–present
WarsVietnam War
Cambodian Civil War
Laotian Civil War
Sino-Vietnamese War
Cambodian–Vietnamese War
Third Indochina War
Soviet–Afghan War[1]
Salvadoran Civil War
Gulf War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
Tajikistan Civil War
First Chechen War
Congo Civil War
Second Chechen War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
2008 South Ossetian War
Kivu conflict
Syrian Civil War
Specifications
Mass1.4 kg (projectile)
2.6 kg (loaded)
Length705 mm (unarmed)
1,050 mm (ready to fire)
Crew1
ShellHEAT
Caliber64 mm
Action300 mm: RHA
500 mm: Reinforced concrete
1000 mm: Brickwork
Muzzle velocity115 m/s
Effective firing range200 m

History
RPG-18 (bottom) with comparable Soviet/Russian rocket launchers

The RPG-18 is very similar to the US M72-series LAW anti-tank rocket launcher.[2] The RPG-18 has been succeeded by the RPG-22, a very similar design with a larger warhead.

Description

The RPG-18 fires a 64 mm PG-18 HEAT warhead mounted on a small rocket capable of engaging targets within 200 meters. The warhead self-destructs 6 seconds after launch, placing definite limits on range even if a sight was used that was effective with targets beyond 200 meters. The RPG-18 itself can penetrate up to 375 mm of conventional armor. However, performance is significantly diminished when the RPG-18 is employed against targets protected by HEAT-resistant ERA or composite armor.

Unlike better known weapons, the RPG-18 requires only one operator because it is not reloadable. Assistant grenadiers are used to help reload the RPG-2, RPG-7 and RPG-16 systems.

Users

Former Users

Similar weapons
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See also
  • List of Russian weaponry

References
  1. Campbell, David (30 Nov 2017). Soviet Paratrooper vs Mujahideen Fighter: Afghanistan 1979–89. Combat 29. Osprey Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 9781472817648.
  2. Rottman, Gordon L. (2011-03-15). The Rocket Propelled Grenade. ISBN 9781849081542.
  3. Bhatia, Michael Vinai; Sedra, Mark (May 2008). Small Arms Survey (ed.). Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed Groups, Disarmament and Security in a Post-War Society. Routledge. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-415-45308-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. Small Arms Survey (2015). "Waning Cohesion: The Rise and Fall of the FDLR–FOCA" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2015: weapons and the world (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 203.
  5. Small Arms Survey (2003). "Making the Difference?: Weapon Collection and Small Arms Availability in the Republic of Congo" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2003: Development Denied. Oxford University Press. p. 267. ISBN 0199251754.
  6. Small Arms Survey (1998). Politics From The Barrel of a Gun (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 40.
  7. Greek General Army Staff (Γενικό Επιτελείο Στρατού) webpage (in Greek}.
  8. Small Arms Survey (2012). "Surveying the Battlefield: Illicit Arms In Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2012: Moving Targets. Cambridge University Press. p. 324. ISBN 978-0-521-19714-4.
  9. Montes, Julio A. (8 May 2015). "Portable Anti-Tank Weapons in Mexico & the Northern Central American Triangle". Small Arms Defense Journal. Vol. 7 no. 1. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019.
  10. Ferguson, Jonathan; Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (November 2014). Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014 (PDF). Research Report 3. Armament Research Services. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-9924624-3-7.
  • Jones, Richard. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2005–06. Coulsdon: Jane's, 2005. ISBN 0-7106-2694-0.


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