RPG-18

History

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

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

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

Users

• Chad
• Congo
• Georgia
• Flag of al-Qassam Brigades.svg Hamas
• Iraq Iraqi insurgents
• Islamic State
• • Transnistria
• Panama
• • Flag of Syria 2011, observed.svg Free Syrian Army

Former users

• Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
• Flagge FDLR.svg Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
• Donetsk People's Republic: Used by DPR forces during the War in Donbas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine before their annexation by Russia in November 2022.
• Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)
• : Sandinista Popular Army
• : Passed on to successor states.
• Real Irish Republican Army

References

General

• Jones, Richard. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2005–06. Coulsdon: Jane's, 2005. .

References

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4. "RPG-18 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher {{!}} MilitaryToday.com".
5. (March 29, 2022). "RPG-18 (Mukha) Disposable Lightweight Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW)".
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7. "RPG-18 Mukha".
8. (May 2008). "Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed Groups, Disarmament and Security in a Post-War Society". [[Routledge]].
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10. Small Arms Survey. (1998). "Politics From The Barrel of a Gun". [[Cambridge University Press]].
11. "Α-Τ RPG-18".
12. Khalili, Moriah. (July 27, 2017). "Covert Attempts to Smuggle Weapons by Hamas". Jerusalem Institute of Justice.
13. Small Arms Survey. (2012). "Small Arms Survey 2012: Moving Targets". [[Cambridge University Press]].
14. (2017). "Weapons of the Islamic State". [[Conflict Armament Research]].
15. (2024-11-17). "List of equipment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan". Wikipedia.
16. "Маленькая и малобоеспособная {{!}} Еженедельник «Военно-промышленный курьер»".
17. Montes, Julio A.. (8 May 2015). "Portable Anti-Tank Weapons in Mexico & the Northern Central American Triangle".
18. Research, Conflict Armament. (December 2017). "WEAPONS OF THE ISLAMIC STATE". Conflict Armament Research.
19. (7 June 2022). "Special Operations Forces Soldiers hit enemy BMP-2 with RPG". Militarnyi.
20. The Armourer's Bench. (2022-03-30). "Ukrainian Training Videos: RPG-18 (Now With Translation)".
21. (2006). "One Soldier's War". Publishers Group West.
22. Small Arms Survey. (2015). "Small Arms Survey 2015: weapons and the world". [[Cambridge University Press]].
23. (November 2014). "Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014". [[Armament Research Services]].
24. "[https://www.armyweb.cz/clanek/kampfschwimmerkommando-ksk-18-bojovi-plavci-vychodniho-nemecka Kampfschwimmerkommando (KSK-18): Bojoví plavci východního Německa]" (in Czech). Army Web. 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
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