![RKG-3 anti-tank grenade (DOSAAF Museum in Minsk)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/RKG-3_anti-tank_grenade_%28DOSAAF_Museum_in_Minsk%29.jpg)
RKG-3 is a series of Soviet
anti-tank hand grenades. It superseded the
RPG-43
The RPG-43 (ruchnaya protivotankovaya granata obraztca 1943 goda, meaning hand-held anti-tank grenade) was a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge hand grenade used by the Soviet Union during World War II. It entered service in 1943, repl ...
,
RPG-40
The RPG-40 was an anti-tank hand grenade developed by the Soviet Union in 1940.
Description
Upon contact, of explosives contained within it were detonated and produced a blast effect. This enabled about of armour to be penetrated and caused sec ...
and
RPG-6
The RPG-6 (Russian ''Ruchnaya Protivotankovaya Granata'', "Handheld Anti-Tank Grenade") was a Soviet-era anti-tank hand grenade used during the late World War II and early Cold War period. It was superseded by the RKG-3 anti-tank grenade.
Histo ...
series of grenades. It entered service in 1950, and was still being used by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan into the 2000s and 2010s, against the vehicles of NATO forces.
Design
RKG stands for ''Ruchnaya Kumulyativnaya Granata'' ("handheld
shaped-charge grenade"). The grenade has an odd strap-like lever (or "spoon") that covers the base of the handle and runs up each side of the handle. When the pin is pulled, the "spoon" falls away, and when the grenade is thrown a spring deploys a four-panelled
drogue parachute
A drogue parachute is a parachute designed for deployment from a rapidly-moving object. It can be used for various purposes, such as to decrease speed, to provide control and stability, or as a pilot parachute to deploy a larger parachute. ...
. This parachute stabilizes the grenade in flight and ensures that the grenade strikes the target at a 90 degree angle, maximising the effect of the shaped charge. Realistic accurate throw ranges are within . The lethality radius is within due to concussion and fragmentation. The casualty radius is within and the danger space from fragmentation is within meters.
The
fuze
In military munitions, a fuze (sometimes fuse) is the part of the device that initiates function. In some applications, such as torpedoes, a fuze may be identified by function as the exploder. The relative complexity of even the earliest fuze d ...
in the handle activates the grenade. When the parachute deploys, its ejection throws a weight to the rear of the handle and disables the safety. When it impacts or stops, inertia causes the weight to fly forward and hit the spring-loaded firing pin, which activates the primer detonator in the base. This sets off the booster charge in the base of the shaped charge, detonating and enhancing the main charge. The sensitive fuze guarantees that the grenade will detonate if it impacts any target.
Armour penetration depends on the model. The original RKG-3 used a basic shaped charge with a steel liner and could penetrate against
Rolled Homogeneous Armor (RHA). The RKG-3M used a copper-lined shaped-charge warhead and had a penetration of 165 mm; the RKG-3T had an improved copper liner that had a penetration of 170 mm. The RKG-3EM has a larger warhead and boasts a penetration of .
History
The RKG-3 was adopted into service in 1950. A few years later it was replaced by the improved RKG-3M and enhanced RKG-3T. Thicker top armor caused the Soviets to develop the larger RKG-3EM. In early 1970s the Soviet Army replaced this grenade with the
RPG-18
The RPG-18 Mukha (russian: Муха, translit=Fly) is a Soviet short-range, disposable light anti-tank rocket launcher designed in 1972.
History
The RPG-18 is very similar to the US M72-series LAW anti-tank rocket launcher. The RPG-18 has be ...
, but many other countries and guerrilla movements are still using the RKG-3 in their armed forces. It was used extensively during the 1973
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egy ...
.
Ulrike Meinhof
Ulrike Marie Meinhof (7 October 1934 – 9 May 1976) was a German left-wing journalist and founding member of the Red Army Faction (RAF) in West Germany, commonly referred to in the press as the "Baader-Meinhof gang". She is the reputed author ...
was injured by an RKG-3 while training with the
PLO
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establishing Arab unity and s ...
in a Syrian training camp.
RKG-3 grenades were widely used by
Iraqi insurgents against American
Humvee
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the ori ...
s,
Stryker
The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III. Stryker vehicles are produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for the United States Army in a plant in London, Ontario. It ...
s and
MRAP
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP; ) is a term for United States Armed Forces, United States military light tactical vehicles produced as part of the MRAP program that are designed specifically to withstand improvised explosive device (IE ...
s.
The grenade has also been seen in use by the
Aerorozvidka
Aerorozvidka ( uk, Аеророзвідка, "aerial reconnaissance") is a team and NGO that promotes creating and implementing netcentric and robotic military capabilities for the security and defense forces of Ukraine. Aerorozvidka exemplifies ...
unit of the
Ukrainian military
, imports =
, exports =
, history =
, ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine
, country=Ukraine
The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...
in the
2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
. PJSC Mayak modifies the grenade into the
RKG 1600 by changing the fuze timing and adding
3D printed
3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer co ...
fins to stabilise its flight when dropped from a commercial drone. Alleged footage of these being used by Ukrainian forces against
Russian forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the Military, military forces of Russia. In terms of Active duty, active-duty personnel, they are the List of countries by number of milita ...
has been published officially. The estimated total cost is "less than $100".
Models
*RKG-3 ''Penetration'' : 125 mm RHA. ''Gross Weight'': 1.07 kg. (2.35 lbs.)
*RKG-3M (''-Modernizirovannaya'', "Improved") Model with liner changed from steel to copper. ''Penetration'' : 165 mm RHA. ''Gross Weight'': 1.1 kg. (2.42 lbs.) Copies manufactured by East Germany (''RKG-3Cu'').
*RKG-3T Model with improved copper liner. ''Penetration'': 170 mm RHA
*RKG-3EM Model with larger warhead. ''Penetration'': 220 mm RHA ''Gross Weight'': 1.7 kg. (3.74 lbs.)
![Aerorozvidka, R18 drone, RKG-1600](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Aerorozvidka%2C_R18_drone%2C_RKG-1600.jpg)
*RKG-1600 Ukrainian adaptation with 3D printed stabilisation fins and modified fuzing for dropping from commercial drones.
*UPG-8 (''Uechebnaya Protivotankovaya Granata'', "Training Anti-Tank Grenade"). Black body with white markings. The reusable warhead contains a reloadable black powder charge that mostly produces black smoke that is vented through holes in the heavy-gauge sheet-metal. A new fuze and parachute can be quickly reloaded in the handle after use by using special armorer tools.
*M79 Copy of the RKG-3EM by
Yugoimport SDPR
Yugoimport–SDPR ( sr, Југоимпорт–СДПР, Jugoimport–SDPR) is a Serbian state-owned weapons manufacturer as well as intermediary company for the import and export of defense-related equipment. It is headquartered in Belgrade, w ...
. Copies are now manufactured by Serbia (''M79'') and Bosnia-Herzegovina (''RKB-M79''). ''Filling:'' 400g (0.88 lbs.)
Hexolite
RDX (abbreviation of "Research Department eXplosive") or hexogen, among other names, is an organic compound with the formula (O2N2CH2)3. It is a white solid without smell or taste, widely used as an explosive. Chemically, it is classified as a n ...
, ''Penetration'': 220 mm RHA, Gross Weight: 1.1 kg. (2.42 lbs.).
*Type F-3 Chinese licensed production of the original Soviet RKG-3 with improvements. ''Penetration'': 130 to 170 mm RHA ''Gross Weight'': 1.07 kg. (2.35 lbs.)
See also
*
List of Russian weaponry
The following is a list of modern Russian small arms and light weapons which were in service in 2016:
Handguns
Revolvers
Pistols
Special purpose
Submachine guns
Special purpose
Shotguns
Rifles
Bolt-action
Semi-a ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
* https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-cheap-grenades-expensive-tanks/31835434.html
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Anti-tank grenades
Hand grenades of the Soviet Union
Cold War weapons of the Soviet Union