RPG-7 Rocket-Propelled-Grenade Launcher

The RPG-7 is a recoilless, shoulder-fired, muzzle-loaded, reloadable, antitank grenade launcher issued by former forces of the U.S.S.R., the Chinese Military, North Korea, and used by a large number of countries that have previously received weapons and training from the former Soviet/Communist Bloc. The RPG-7 proved to be a very simple and functional weapon that has an anti-vehicle/armor role as well as being effective against fixed emplacements. Its effective range is thought to be approx. 500 meters when used against a fixed target, and about 300 meters when fired at a moving target. It is reported that it can penetrate at about 12 inches of conventional armor plate. Proven again and again in combat, the RPG-7 has been successfully employed against armored vehicles, bunkers, and American helicopters.

It has been used extensively by terrorist organizations in the Mid-East and Latin America and thought to be in the inventory of any number of insurgent operations. The RPG-7 is still available in illegal international arms markets, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Mid-East. Despite still being in service with many poorly-equipped armies, it can also be expected to be used by extremists of several kinds, when engaging in urban combat or vehicle ambushes.