RPG-7
An RPG-7 with warhead
Type	Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher[1]
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1961–present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Manufacturer	Bazalt, Defense Industries Organization, Airtronic USA
Produced	June, 1961-present
Number built	9,000,000+
Variants	RPG-7V2 (current model) RPG-7D3 (paratrooper) Type 69 RPG (China) RPG-7USA (Picatinny Rails) B-41 (Vietnam), (Cambodia)
Specifications
Weight	7 kg (15 lb)
Length	950 mm (37.4 in)
Caliber	85mm
Muzzle velocity	115 m/s
Effective range	200m
Maximum range	~ 920 m (1,000 yd) (self detonates)
Sights	PGO-7 (2.7x) and UP-7V Telescopic sight) Red Dot on Picatinny Rails

The RPG-7 (Russian: РПГ-7) is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 (Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт - Ruchnoy Protivotankovyy Granatomyot, Hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher) and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union and are now manufactured by the Bazalt company. The weapon has the GRAU index 6G3. The English-language term "RPG", meaning "rocket-propelled grenade", though frequently encountered and reasonably descriptive, is not based on a literal translation.

The ruggedness, simplicity, low cost, and effectiveness of the RPG-7 has made it the most widely used anti-tank weapon in the world. Currently around 40 countries use the weapon, and it is manufactured in a number of variants by nine countries. It is also popular with irregular and guerrilla forces. The RPG has been used in almost all conflicts across all continents since the mid-1960s from the Vietnam War to the present day War in Afghanistan.

The most commonly seen major variations are the RPG-7D paratrooper model (able to be broken into two parts for easier carrying), and the lighter Chinese Type 69 RPG. DIO of Iran manufactures RPG-7s with olive green handguards, H&K pistol grips, and a Commando variant.

The RPG-7 was first delivered to the Soviet Army in 1961 and deployed at a squad level. It replaced the RPG-2, having clearly out-performed the intermediate RPG-4 design during testing. The current model produced by Russia is the RPG-7V2, capable of firing standard and dual high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, high explosive/fragmentation, and thermobaric warheads (see below), with a UP-7V sighting device fitted (used in tandem with the standard 2.7x PGO-7 optical sight) to allow the use of extended range ammunition. The RPG-7D3 is the equivalent paratrooper model. Both the RPG-7V2 and RPG-7D3 were adopted by the Russian Ground Forces in 2001.

Description[link]

The launcher is reloadable and based around a simple steel tube, 40 millimeters in diameter, 95.3 centimeters long, and weighing 7 kilograms. The middle of the tube is wood wrapped to protect the user from heat and the end is flared to assist in blast shielding and recoil reduction. Sighting is usually optical with a back-up iron sight, and passive infra-red and night sights are also available.

As with similar weapons, the grenade protrudes from the launch tubes. It is 40-105 millimeters in diameter and weighs between 2.5 and 4.5 kilograms. It is launched by a gunpowder booster charge, giving it an initial speed of 115 meters per second, and creating a cloud of light grey-blue smoke. The rocket motor^[2] ignites after 10 meters and sustains flight out to 500 meters at a maximum velocity of 295 meters per second. The grenade is stabilized by two sets of fins that deploy in-flight: one large set on the stabilizer pipe to maintain direction and a smaller front set to induce rotation. The grenade can fly up to 1,100 meters; the fuze sets the maximum range, usually 920 meters.

Propulsion system[link]

Polish soldier with RPG-7

According to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Bulletin 3u (1977) Soviet RPG-7 Antitank Grenade Launcher—Capabilities and Countermeasures, the RPG-7 munition has 2 sections: a "booster" section and a "warhead and sustainer motor" section. These must be assembled into the ready-to-use grenade. The booster consists of a "small strip powder charge" that serves to propel the grenade out of the launcher, the sustainer motor ignites and propels the grenade for the next few seconds, reaching a speed of 294 meters per second. The TRADOC bulletin provides anecdotal commentary that the RPG-7 has been fired from within buildings, which agrees with the two-stage design. It is stated that only a 2-meter standoff to a rear obstruction is needed for use inside rooms or fortifications. The fins not only provide drag stabilization, but are designed to impart a slow rotation to the grenade.

Due to the configuration of the RPG-7 sustainer/warhead section, it responds counter-intuitively to crosswinds. A crosswind will tend to exert pressure on the stabilizing fins, causing the projectile to turn into the wind. While the rocket motor is still burning, this will cause the flight path to curve into the wind. The TRADOC bulletin explains aiming difficulties for more distant moving targets in crosswinds at some length.The RPG-7 has no noticeable recoil, the only effect during firing being that of the sudden lightness of the launcher as the rocket leaves the tube.

Ammunition[link]

The RPG-7 can fire a variety of warheads for anti-armor (HEAT, PG-Protivotankovaya Granata) or anti-personnel (HE, OG-Oskolochnaya Granata) purposes, usually fitting with an impact (PIBD) and a 4.5 second fuze. Armor penetration is warhead dependent and ranges from 30 to 60 centimeters of RHA; one warhead, the PG-7VR, is a 'tandem charge' device, used to defeat reactive armor with a single shot.

Current production ammunition for the RPG-7V2 consists of four types:

• PG-7VL [c.1977] Improved 93 mm HEAT warhead effective against most vehicles and fortified targets. Replaces the earlier 83mm PG-7V HEAT warhead [c.1961].
• PG-7VR [c.1988] Dual 64mm/105mm HEAT warhead for defeating modern armored vehicles equipped with reactive armor blocks. The first warhead (64mm HEAT) detonates the reactive armor block prematurely and the second warhead (105mm HEAT) passes through the gap to hit the exposed armor underneath.
• TBG-7V [c.1988] 105 mm Thermobaric warhead for anti-personnel and urban warfare.
• OG-7V [c.1999] 40mm fragmentation warhead for anti-personnel warfare (warhead is within caliber due to limitations of international treaties)^{[citation needed]}

Specifications[link]

Manufacturer specifications for the RPG-7V1.^[3][4]

Rocket propelled grenades

Inside of an RPG's three sections. The head contains the (1) trigger, (2) conductive cone, (3) aerodynamic fairing, (4) conical liner, (5) body, (6) explosive, (7) conductor and (8) detonator. The rocket motor consists of a (9) nozzle block, (10) nozzle and (11) motor body with (12) propellant in front of (13) the motor rear and (14) ignition primer. The booster charge includes the (15) fin, (16) cartridge, (17) charge, (18) turbine, (19) tracer and (20) foam wad.

Hit probabilities[link]

A US Army evaluation of the weapon gave the hit probabilities on a 5 meter wide (15 ft), 2.5 meter tall (7.5 ft) panel moving sideways at 4 meters per second (9 miles per hour).^[8] This probability decreases when firing into crosswind due to the unusual behaviour of the round; in a 7-mile (11 km) -per-hour wind, the gunner can not expect to get a first-round hit more than 50% of the time beyond 180m.^[9]

Afghan National Police officer at a training site, ready to fire an RPG round.

History of use[link]

Accurate firing is difficult at ranges over 300 meters and with the RPG-7 the phrase "the closer the better" has always been true. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the mujahideen tended to use the weapon at ranges of less than 80 meters. They were used in the Vietnam war to counter the introduction of the lightly armored M113. This was countered by the mounting of barbed wire bundles or placing sections of chain link fence supported by 2 or 3 "U" shaped engineer stakes in front of the vehicle as a portable stand-off.^[10] Coalition armoured vehicles in Iraq have been fitted with "birdcage" slat armour to protect against RPGs.

The RPG-7 was used by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2005, most notably in Lurgan, County Armagh, where it was used against British Army observation posts and the towering military base at Kitchen Hill in the town.^[11] The IRA also used them in Catholic areas of West Belfast against British Army armoured personnel carriers and Army forward operating bases (FOB). Beechmount Avenue was renamed "RPG Avenue" because it was chosen many times by the IRA to mount rocket attacks.^[12]

In Mogadishu, Somalia, rocket-propelled grenades were used to down two US Black hawk helicopters.^[13]

The mujaheddin (in Afghanistan) have formed armored-vehicle hunter/killer teams that work together with as many as 15 RPGs to destroy armoured vehicles.^[14]

Users[link]

Iraqi Security Force (ISF) soldier with an RPG-7.

U.S. and Bulgarian soldiers training with RPG-7s.

A Bulgarian soldier with an ATGL-L(Bulgarian copy of the RPG-7) equipped with a red dot reflex sight.

A Romanian soldier with an AG-7 (licensed built RPG-7).

Iranian manufactured RPG-7 launcher, uncovered in Lebanon, by the IDF.

•  Afghanistan^[15]
•  Albania^[15]
•  Algeria^[15]
•  Angola^[15]
•  Armenia^[15]
•  Azerbaijan^[15]
•  Belarus^[15]
•  Benin^[15]
•  Botswana^[15]
•  Bulgaria: Produced locally by Arsenal Corporation as ATGL-L.^[16]
•  Cambodia^[15]
•  Cape Verde^[15]
•  Central African Republic^[15]
•  Chad^[15]
•  Congo-Brazzaville^[15]
•  Croatia^[15]
•  Cuba^[15]
•  Cyprus^[15]
•  Czech Republic^[15]
•  Democratic Republic of Congo^[15]
•  Djibouti^[15]
•  Egypt^[15]
•  Eritrea^[15]
•  Georgia: Produced locally.^[17]
•  Ghana^[15]
•  Guinea^[15]
•  Guyana^[15]
•  Hungary^[18]
•  Iran^[15]
•  Iraq^[15]
•  Ireland: Used by the Provisional IRA in the Northern Ireland Troubles.^{[citation needed]}
•  Jordan^[15]
•  Kazakhstan^[15]
•  Kyrgyzstan^[15]
•  Laos^[15]
•  Latvia^[15]
•  Lebanon^[15]
•  Liberia: Used by both the Liberian Army and guerrilla factions in the Liberian Civil Wars.^{[citation needed]}
•  Libya^[15] (also used by rebel forces in the 2011 Libyan civil war)
•  Lithuania^[15]
•  Macedonia^[15]
•  Madagascar^[15]
•  Malta^[15]
•  Mauritania^[15]
•  Moldova^[15]
•  Mongolia^[15]
•  Morocco^[15]
•  Nicaragua^[15]
•  Nigeria^[15]
•  North Korea^[15]
•  Palestinian Authority^{[citation needed]}
•  Pakistan^[15]
•  People's Republic of China: Copied by the People's Liberation Army(PLA)as the Type 69 RPG.^[19] The RPG is the most popular RPG-7 copy used over the world.
•  Poland^[15]
•  Romania^[15] - Produced locally by SC Carfil SA from Brașov as AG-7 (Romanian: Aruncătorul de Grenade 7, Grenade Launcher 7).^[20]
•  Russia^[15]
•  Rwanda^[15]
•  Sao Tome and Principe^[15]
•  Senegal^[15]
• 22x20px Seychelles^[15]
•  Sierra Leone^[15]
•  Somalia^[15]
•  South Africa: South African National Defence Force.^[21]
•  Sudan: Made by Military Industry Corporation as the Sinar.^[22]
•  Syria^[15]
•  Tajikistan^[15]
•  Togo^[15]
•  Turkey^[23]
•  Turkmenistan^[15]
•  Ukraine^[15]
•  Uzbekistan^[15]
•  Venezuela^[24]
•  Vietnam^[15]
•  Yemen^[15]
•  Zambia^[15]
•  Zimbabwe^[15]

See also[link]

• AT4
• AT3
• Carl Gustav recoilless rifle
• M9A1 Bazooka
• M72 LAW
• Panzerfaust
• RPG-16
• RPG-18
• Yasin (RPG)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: RPG-7

• http://www.bazalt.ru/ manufacturer site
• Countering the RPG threat
• RPG a Weapon's Profile - Defense Update
• How Stuff Works - RPG(7)
• RPG-7 analysis and user´s manual
• Modern Firearms: RPG-7
• Ultimate Weapons Rpg 7 Military Channel on Youtube

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since April 2012. Very few or no other articles link to it. Please help introduce links to this page from other articles related to it. Tagged since May 2012. Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since April 2012.

The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for music. Please help to establish notability by adding reliable, secondary sources about the topic. If notability cannot be established, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted. (April 2012)

Pablo Hasél is a Spanish rapper, MC and poet. He was born in Lleida, Spain, in 1989. He's a communist^{[citation needed]}, and is the son of the owner of the former football team UE Lleida.^{[citation needed]}

In his compositions, he speaks about politics, because he is communist. He also sings about social criticism, personal topics and subjects that ridicule everything; but above all he is pacifist^{[citation needed]}.

He has worked as a rapper since 2005, as well as with others rappers, like Cíniko, Keny Arkana, Los Chikos del Maíz and Charly Efe.

He was arrested in Lleida in October 2011 for praising terrorism, due to his connection with GRAPO, a Maoist group.^[1][2]

Songs[link]

Songs:

• Esto no es el paraíso (demo) (2005)
• Miedo y Asco en Ilerda – Reeditado con el título Ilerda rima con mierda (2007)
• Trastorno Tripolar (2007)
• Desde el abismo se goza de las mejores vistas (2006–2008)
• En ningún lugar pero aquí (Zyon Revol "Frankie Brown" + Hasél) (2008)
• Descuartizando resacas (2009)
• Quemando la vida (con Kaktan)(2009)
• Cuando el tiempo no nos tocaba las ilusiones (2006–2009)
• Se lo vomite al viento mientras ella se drogaba con otro (2010)
• Inéditas por culpa de Aileen Wuornos (2007–2010)
• Banquete de larvas (demo) (2010)
• El Che disparaba (2011)
• Siempre perdidos 1 (2008–2010)
• Siempre perdidos 2 (2008–2011)
• Solos en medio del misterio infinito - Poemas (2011)
• Polvo y Ceniza (2011)
• Un café con Gudrun Ensslin (2011)
• El infierno sería verlos más allá (2010–2011)
• Crucificado en tu clítoris (2011)
• Las resakas: Besos cortados con coca (2011)
• Canciones supervivientes al registro policial (2012)
• La tortura placentera de la luna: algunas canciones inéditas (2012)
• Escribiendo con Ulrike Meinhof (2012)

References[link]

1. ^ Xiana Siccardi, "La Policía detiene a un rapero de Lleida por enaltecer el terrorismo al cantar a los Grapo", El Mundo, October 4, 2011, http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/10/04/barcelona/1317749227.html
2. ^ "Detenido el rapero leridano Pablo Hasel por hacer apología del terrorismo", Antena3, http://www.antena3.com/noticias/sociedad/detenido-rapero-leridano-pablo-hasel-hacer-apologia-terrorism_2011100400182.html (accessed April 19, 2012)

External links[link]

• Myspace page