RPG-18

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.

RPG-18
RPG-18 rocket launcher with PG-18 rocket
Type	Rocket-propelled grenade
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1972–present
Used by	See users
Wars	Vietnam 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 First Nagorno-Karabakh War Tajikistani Civil War First Chechen War Congo Civil War Second Chechen War War in Afghanistan Iraq War Russo-Georgian War Kivu conflict Syrian civil war Russo-Ukrainian War
Production history
Designed	1972
Manufacturer	Bazalt (Soviet Union) VEB Mechanische Werkstätten (East Germany)
Produced	1972-1990 (Soviet Union) 1978-1989 (East Germany
Specifications
Mass	1.4 kg (projectile) 2.6 kg (loaded)
Length	705 mm (unarmed) 1,050 mm (ready to fire)
Crew	1
Shell	PG-18 HEAT
Caliber	64 mm
Rate of fire	Single shot
Muzzle velocity	115 m/s
Effective firing range	100-150m
Maximum firing range	200m
Sights	Mechanical flip-up sight

History

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

An RPG-18 attached to a drone

The RPG-18 is very similar to the US M72-series LAW anti-tank rocket launcher,^[2] with captured examples during the Vietnam War likely being sent to the Soviet Union.^[3][4] 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 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.^[5]

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.^[6] However, performance is significantly lessened when the RPG-18 is used against targets protected by HEAT-resistant explosive reactive armour (ERA) or composite armor.^[7]

Unlike similar weapons, the RPG-18 requires only one operator as it is not reloadable.^[6]

Users

•  Afghanistan^[8]
•  Armenia^[6]
•  Azerbaijan^[6]
•  Belarus^[6]
•  Chad^[9]
•  Congo^[10]
•  Georgia^[11]
•  Greece^[12]
• Hamas^[13]
• Iraqi insurgents^[14]
•  Islamic State^[15]
•  Kazakhstan^{[16][circular reference]}
•  Kyrgyzstan^[6]
•  Moldova^[6]
  •  Transnistria^[17]
•  Panama^[18]
•  Russia
•  Syria^[6]
  • Free Syrian Army^[19]
•  Tajikistan^[6]
•  Turkmenistan^[6]
•  Ukraine^[20][21]
•  Uzbekistan^[6]

Former users

• Chechen Republic of Ichkeria^[22]
• Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda^[9]
•  Donetsk People's Republic:^[23] Used by DPR forces during the War in Donbas and the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine before their annexation by Russia in November 2022.
• Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)^[18]
•  East Germany^[24]
•  Nicaragua: Sandinista Popular Army^[18]
•  Soviet Union: Passed on to successor states.^[6]
• Real Irish Republican Army^[25]

See also

• RPG-76 Komar – (Polish People's Republic, Poland)
• M80 Zolja – (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)