In service 1972– present | ||
 | ||
Wars Soviet War in AfghanistanNagorno Karabakh WarTajikistan Civil WarFirst Chechen War2008 South Ossetian WarSyrian Civil War Weight 1.4 kg (unarmed)2.6 kg (ready to fire) Length 705 mm (unarmed)1,050 mm (ready to fire) | ||
The RPG-18 Mukha (Russian: Муха – "Fly") is a Soviet short-range, disposable light anti-tank rocket launcher.
Contents
History
The RPG-18 is very similar to the US M72-series LAW anti-tank rocket. 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 HEAT warhead mounted on a small rocket capable of engaging any target within 200 meters. The warhead self-destructs 6 seconds after launch, placing definite limits on range even if a sight was used that was effective with targets beyond 200 meters. The RPG-18 itself can penetrate up to 375 mm of conventional armor. However, performance is significantly diminished when the RPG-18 is employed against targets protected by HEAT-resistant ERA or composite armor.
Unlike better known weapons, the RPG-18 requires only one operator because it is not reloadable. Assistant grenadiers are used to help reload the RPG-2, RPG-7 and RPG-16 systems.