RPG-18
Rocket-propelled grenade
The RPG-18 Mukha (Russian: Муха, romanized: Fly) is a Soviet short-range, disposable light anti-tank rocket launcher designed in 1972, based on the American M72 LAW. The RPG-18 has been in service in over 20 conflicts and used by over 20 armed forces across the world.
01History
The RPG-18 is very similar to the US M72-series LAW anti-tank rocket launcher, with captured examples during the Vietnam War likely being sent to the Soviet Union. The RPG-18 has been succeeded by the RPG-22, a very similar design with a larger warhead.
02Description
The RPG-18 fires a 64 mm PG-18 high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead mounted on a small rocket able to engage targets within 200 meters. The warhead self-destructs six seconds after launch, placing a limit on range even if a sight was used that was effective with targets beyond 200 meters.
The RPG-18 can penetrate up to 300 mm of conventional vehicle armor (RHA); up to 500 mm of reinforced concrete; and up to 1,000 mm of brickwork. However, performance is significantly lessened when the RPG-18 is used against targets protected by HEAT-resistant explosive reactive armour (ERA) or composite armor.
Unlike similar weapons, the RPG-18 requires only one operator as it is not reloadable.
03Users
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Chad
- Congo
- Georgia
- Greece
- Hamas
- Iraqi insurgents
- Islamic State
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Moldova
- Panama
- Russia
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
Former users
- Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
- Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
- Donetsk People's Republic: Used by DPR forces during the War in Donbas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine before their annexation by Russia in November 2022.
- Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)
- East Germany
- Nicaragua: Sandinista Popular Army
- Soviet Union: Passed on to successor states.
- Real Irish Republican Army
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “RPG-18”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- RPG-18-cutaway.JPG by Unknown author, Public domain
- Ручные реактивные гранатометы и огнеметы производства России и СССР - Russian RPG launchers.jpg by Andrey Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Combat UAV "Soaring tube" complex during the "Armiya 2021" exhibition.jpg by Kirill Borisenko, CC BY-SA 4.0
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