Misplaced Pages

#338661

78-621: Quick Kill detects incoming RPGs and anti-tank missiles with an active electronically scanned array radar. Once its speed, trajectory, and intercept point are computed, Quick Kill vertically launches a small countermeasure missile. This kind of system is similar to the one that the Israeli Army uses for its ground forces. The system features two types of missiles: a smaller one for defense against close range weapons such as RPGs, and another, larger one to intercept longer range, faster anti-tank missiles or shells. The countermeasure missile intercepts

156-559: A fuel-air explosive (thermobaric) warhead. Another recent development is a tandem HEAT warhead capable of penetrating reactive armor . So-called PRIGs (propelled recoilless improvised grenade) were improvised warheads used by the Provisional IRA . The RPG-29 uses a tandem-charge high-explosive anti-tank warhead to penetrate explosive reactive armor (ERA) as well as composite armor behind it. In August 2006, in al-Amarah , in Iraq,

234-574: A rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are single-use disposable units, such as the RPG-22 and M72 LAW ; with these units, once the rocket is fired, the entire launcher is disposed of. Others are reloadable, such as the Soviet RPG-7 and the Israeli B-300 . With reloadable RPGs, a new rocket can be inserted into the muzzle of the weapon after firing. An issue that affected

312-690: A rocket motor which propels the RPG towards the target and they are stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable with new rocket-propelled grenades, while others are single-use. RPGs are generally loaded from the front . RPGs with high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads are very effective against lightly armored vehicles such as armored personnel carriers (APCs) and armored cars . However, modern, heavily-armored vehicles, such as upgraded APCs and main battle tanks , are generally too well-protected (with thick composite or reactive armor ) to be penetrated by an RPG, unless less armored sections of

390-668: A 1995 special armor conference in Kubinka, a Soviet T-72 tank fitted with an updated version of APS (most likely the Arena Active Protection System ) protected against KONKURS ATGMs and RPG -type weapons. There was some controversy when the United States Office of Force Transformation (OFT) planned to battle-test the more mature, but Israeli-made Trophy active protection system on several Stryker armored personnel carriers headed for Iraq in early 2007. The effort

468-469: A Chinook helicopter was destroyed by unguided rocket propelled grenades. In the period following the 2003 invasion of Iraq , the RPG-7 became a favorite weapon of the insurgent forces fighting U.S. troops. Since most of the readily available RPG-7 rounds cannot penetrate M1 Abrams tank armor from almost any angle, it is primarily effective against soft-skinned or lightly armored vehicles, and infantry. Even if

546-547: A FAQ page titled 'Lockdowns and collateral damage', and refers to this phrase several times. The term has also been borrowed by the computing community to refer to the refusal of service to legitimate users when administrators take blanket preventative measures against some individuals who are abusing systems. For example, Realtime Blackhole Lists used to combat email spam generally block ranges of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses rather than individual IPs associated with spam, which can deny legitimate users within those ranges

624-498: A Soviet RPG-29 damaged the front underside of a Challenger 2 tank, detonating ERA in the area of the driver's cabin. The driver lost part of a foot and two more of the crew were injured, but the driver was able to reverse 2.4 km (1.5 mi) to an aid post. The incident was not made public until May 2007; in response to accusations, the MoD said "We have never claimed that the Challenger 2

702-633: A battle). The first dedicated anti-tank artillery began appearing in the 1920s, and by World War II was a common appearance in most armies. In order to penetrate armor they fired specialized ammunition from proportionally longer barrels to achieve a higher muzzle velocity than field guns. Most anti-tank guns were developed in the 1930s as improvements in tanks were noted, and nearly every major arms manufacturer produced one type or another. Anti-tank guns deployed during World War II were manned by specialist infantry rather than artillery crews, and issued to infantry units accordingly. The anti-tank guns of

780-735: A form of propulsion in addition to the launch charge (unlike the RPG-7 rounds, which also feature a sustainer motor, effectively making the rounds rocket propelled grenades). Soviet RPGs were used extensively during the Vietnam War (by the Vietnam People's Army and Vietcong ), as well as during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan by the Mujahideen and against South Africans in Angola and Namibia (formerly South West Africa ) by SWAPO guerillas during what

858-588: A human-portable (i.e., can be carried by one soldier) weapon to defeat enemy armor when no wheeled anti-tank guns were available, since anti tank rifles were no longer effective. Initial attempts to put such weapons in the hands of the infantry resulted in weapons like the Soviet RPG-40 "blast effect" hand grenade (where "RPG" stood for ruchnaya protivotankovaya granata , meaning hand-held anti-tank grenade). However, being hand thrown weapons, they still had to be deployed at suicidally close range to be effective. What

SECTION 10

#1732883378339

936-519: A kill, two to four RPG operators would be assigned to each vehicle. Each armored-vehicle hunter-killer team can have as many as 15 RPGs. In areas where vehicles were confined to a single path (a mountain road, swamps, snow, urban areas), RPG teams trapped convoys by destroying the first and last vehicles in line, preventing movement of the other vehicles. This tactic was especially effective in cities. Convoys learned to avoid approaches with overhangs and to send infantrymen forward in hazardous areas to detect

1014-505: A lightweight antitank weapon (LAW) in the middle 1950s. By 1961, the M72 LAW was in use. It is a shoulder-fired, disposable rocket launcher with HEAT warhead. It is a recoilless weapon, which is easy to use, and effective against armored vehicles. It was used during the Vietnam War, and is still in use today. It uses a fin-stabilized rocket. In response to the threat of thicker armor, this weapon

1092-622: A main tool used by the FMLN 's guerrilla forces in the Salvadoran Civil War . For example, during the June 19, 1986, overrun of the San Miguel Army base, FMLN sappers dressed only in black shorts, their faces blacked out with grease, sneaked through barbed wire at night, avoiding the searchlights, they made it to within firing range of the outer wall. Using RPGs to initiate the attack, they blew through

1170-539: A method of long distance approach denial for infantry and reconnaissance. The most noteworthy use of RPGs against aircraft in Afghanistan occurred on August 6, 2011, when Taliban fighters shot down a U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopter killing all 38 personnel on board including SEAL Team 6 from a range of 220 m (720 ft). An earlier anti-aircraft kill by the Taliban occurred during Operation Red Wings, on June 28, 2005, when

1248-419: A number of large caliber guns were developed during the war that were capable of knocking out the most heavily armored tanks, they proved slow to set up and difficult to conceal. The latter generation of low-recoil anti-tank weapons, which allowed projectiles the size of an artillery shell to be fired from a man's shoulder, was considered a far more viable option for arming infantrymen. The RPG has its roots in

1326-626: A result of government policy such as lockdowns, and not directly by the virus itself. Significant debate on the pandemic strategy has ensued, with some advocating restrictions such as lockdowns to save lives, where others claim the 'collateral damage' caused by enforced lockdowns, masks and distancing may in fact cause more deaths over a longer term. An example is the Great Barrington Declaration , purportedly signed by 3500 medical and other professionals (and mentioned in UK parliament and media ) has

1404-506: A rocket propelled grenade ( RPG ) at close range, using a precision launched warhead with a focused blast" during live fire testing done the day before. However, this was not the first time an Active Protection System (APS) successfully engaged an incoming munition. The Soviet Drozd active protection system was equipped to Soviet tanks in the early 1980s, and saw significant use in the Soviet–Afghan War on older model tanks. Later, during

1482-506: A shotgun-like kill mechanism, to be the most mature of the 15 systems they analyzed. According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report issued June 8, 2007, the Army estimated that Quick Kill could be available for prototype delivery to current force vehicles in fiscal year 2009 and tested on an FCS vehicle in 2011. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson, a top Army acquisition official, testified to Congress that Quick Kill would be ready to "hang on

1560-506: A soldier or other fighter launches an RPG at a hovering helicopter, even if the helicopter releases flares to confuse optical seekers, chaff to confuse radar, or engages in signal jamming, these will have no effect on an in-flight RPG warhead, even though these measures might protect against more sophisticated surface-to-air missiles. The HEAT ( high-explosive anti-tank ) round is a standard shaped charge warhead, similar in concept to those used in many tank cannon rounds. In this type of warhead,

1638-518: A system detects and shoots down incoming projectiles before they reach the vehicle. As in all arms races, these developments in armor countermeasures have led to the development of RPG rounds designed specifically to defeat them, with methods such as a tandem-charge warhead, which has two shaped charges, of which the first is meant to activate any reactive armor, and the second to penetrate the vehicle. Specific types of RPGs (current, past and under development) include : The United States Army developed

SECTION 20

#1732883378339

1716-623: A vehicle in about 2008" and that the Army was already beginning to do integration work to put the system on the Stryker ; this was roughly the same time frame as Trophy. Sorenson also said they were concerned about Trophy's high weight, high power draw, lack of reload capability (which it now has), lack of 360 degree protection (also a problem that was taken care of), and higher probability of collateral damage to civilians. Raytheon reported May 22, 2007 that it had delivered its radar on time and on budget. Jane's Defence Weekly reported on Oct 18, 2007 that

1794-534: Is a smaller diameter precursor round in a smaller side barrel tube in addition to the main round in the main tube. This precursor round acts as a false target, tricking the target's active protection system into engaging it, allowing the main round a clear path into the target, while the APS is stuck in the 0.2–0.4 second delay it needs to start its next engagement. Recent German systems were able to reduce reaction delay to mere milliseconds, cancelling this advantage. The PG-30

1872-468: Is a term for any incidental and undesired death, injury or other damage inflicted, especially on civilians , as the result of an activity. Originally coined to describe military operations, it is now also used in non-military contexts to refer to any unwanted fallout from an action. Since the development of precision guided munitions in the 1970s, military forces often claim to have gone to great lengths to minimize collateral damage. Critics of use of

1950-524: Is impenetrable." Since then, the ERA has been replaced with a Dorchester block and the steel underbelly lined with armor, as part of the 'Streetfighter' upgrade, which was a direct response to this incident. In May 2008, The New York Times disclosed that an American M1 tank had also been damaged by an RPG-29 in Iraq. The American army is ranking the RPG-29 threat to American armor as high; they have refused to allow

2028-430: Is in preparation for formal government evaluations in early 2013 to demonstrate the system's unique RPG-defeat capabilities. Rocket-propelled grenade A rocket-propelled grenade ( RPG ) is a shoulder-fired rocket weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead . Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons . These warheads are affixed to

2106-456: Is known as "FAST-CD" or "Fast Assessment Strike Tool—Collateral Damage". While not actually invented by the military, its use in military context has been common. However, the term has since been widely adopted for non-military cases, and in particular, the COVID-19 pandemic . A large number of medical, government sources and media use this term widely in relation to deaths caused indirectly as

2184-458: Is launched on a military objective in the knowledge that the incidental civilian injuries would be clearly excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage (principle of proportionality) (Article 8(2)(b)(iv). Article 8(2)(b)(iv) criminalizes intentionally launching an attack in the knowledge that such attack will cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects or widespread, long-term, and severe damage to

2262-470: Is often attributed to economist Thomas Schelling , who used it in his 1961 article Dispersal, Deterrence, and Damage published in Operations Research . In this article, Schelling discussed military strategies that inadvertently lead to the destruction of civilian areas, not directly targeted but affected by military actions intended to affect other strategic assets. The term came into usage during

2340-476: Is preferable due to its low weight and ease of repair. Today, technologically advanced armies have implemented composite armors such as Chobham armour , which provide superior protection to steel. For added protection, vehicles may be retrofitted with reactive armor; on impact, reactive tiles explode or deform, disrupting the normal function of the shaped charge. Russian and Israeli vehicles also use active protection systems such as Drozd, Arena APS or Trophy. Such

2418-470: Is purely due to kinetic energy in nature. An RPG comprises two main parts: the launcher and a rocket equipped with a warhead that follows a ballistic trajectory after the rocket motor has completed its burn. The most common types of warheads are high explosive (HE) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. HE rounds can be used against troops or unarmored structures or vehicles. HEAT rounds can be used against armored vehicles. These warheads are affixed to

Quick Kill - Misplaced Pages Continue

2496-566: Is the main round of the RPG-30. The round is a 105 mm (4.1 in) tandem shaped charge with a weight of 10.3 kg (23 lb) and has a range of 200 m (660 ft) and a stated penetration capability in excess of 600 mm (24 in) rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) (after ERA), 1,500 mm (59 in) reinforced concrete, 2,000 mm (79 in), and 3,700 mm (150 in) of soil. Reactive armor, including explosive reactive armor (ERA), can be defeated with multiple hits into

2574-616: Is the most widely distributed, recognizable and used RPG in the world. The basic design of this RPG was developed by the Soviets shortly after World War II in the form of the RPG-2 , which is similar in function to the Bazooka (due to the reloadability) and the Panzerfaust (due to an oversized grenade that protrudes outside of a smaller launch tube and the recoilless launch), though the rounds it fires lack

2652-603: The Rome Statute , the death of civilians during an armed conflict, no matter how grave and regrettable, does not in itself constitute a war crime. International humanitarian law and the Rome Statute permit belligerents to carry out proportionate attacks against military objectives, even when it is known that some civilian deaths or injuries will occur. A crime occurs if there is an intentional attack directed against civilians (principle of distinction) (Article 8(2)(b)(i)) or an attack

2730-444: The War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) . The RPG warhead being used against tanks and other armor often has a shaped charge explosive warhead. A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to penetrate tank armor; typical modern lined shaped charge can penetrate steel armor to a depth of seven or more times the diameter of

2808-678: The legal use of force in an armed conflict . Offensives causing collateral damage are not automatically classed as a war crimes. They are war crimes when the objective is excessively or solely collateral damage. Luis Moreno-Ocampo , Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court , investigated allegations of war crimes during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and published an open letter containing his findings. A section titled "Allegations concerning War Crimes" elucidates this usage of military necessity , distinction , and proportionality : Under international humanitarian law and

2886-474: The 1930s were of small caliber; nearly all major armies possessing them used 37 mm (1.5 in) ammunition, except for the British Army , which had developed the 40 mm (1.6 in) Ordnance QF 2-pounder . As World War II progressed, the appearance of heavier tanks rendered these weapons obsolete and anti-tank guns likewise began firing larger calibre and more effective armor-piercing shells. Although

2964-587: The 20th century with the early development of the explosive shaped charge , in which the explosive is made with a conical hollow, which concentrates its power on the impact point. Before the adoption of the shaped charge, anti-tank guns and tank guns relied primarily on kinetic energy of metal projectiles to defeat armor. Soldier-carried anti-tank rifles such as the Boys anti-tank rifle could be used against lightly-armored tankettes and light armored vehicles. However, as tank armor increased in thickness and effectiveness,

3042-516: The Germans rushed to create an upgraded version of these early anti-armor rifles, the Tankgewehr M1918 , the first anti-tank rifle . In the inter-war years , tank armor continued to increase overall, to the point that anti-tank rifles could no longer be effective against anything but light tanks ; any rifle made powerful enough for heavier tanks would exceed the ability of a soldier to carry and fire

3120-501: The Quick Kill include its reliable radar and interceptors that launch upward before diving, directing their blasts downward rather than sideways, reducing the chance of wounding accompanying troops; however, being basically a miniaturized missile defense system, the system is expensive and complex. On Feb 8, 2006, Raytheon issued a press release stating that their "Quick Kill System [was] the first active protection system (APS) to destroy

3198-453: The RPG hit does not completely disable the tank or kill the crew, it can still damage external equipment, lowering the tank's effectiveness or forcing the crew to abandon and destroy it. Newer RPG-7 rounds are more capable, and in August 2006, an RPG-29 round penetrated the frontal ERA of a Challenger 2 tank during an engagement in al-Amarah , Iraq , and wounded several crew members. RPGs were

Quick Kill - Misplaced Pages Continue

3276-503: The RPG teams. Multiple shooters were also effective against heavy tanks with reactive armor : The first shot would be against the driver's viewing prisms. Following shots would be in pairs, one to set off the reactive armor, the second to penetrate the tank's armor. Favored weak spots were the top and rear of the turret. Afghans sometimes used RPG-7s at extreme range, exploded by their 4.5-second self-destruct timer, which translates to roughly 950 m (3,120 ft) flight distance, as

3354-653: The RPG, they are both reloaded from the breech-end rather than the muzzle. One of the first instances the weapon was used by militants was on January 13, 1975, at Orly Airport in France, when Carlos the Jackal , together with another member from the PFLP , used two Soviet RPG-7 grenades to attack an Israeli El Al airliner. Both missed the target, with one hitting a Yugoslav Airlines 's DC-9 instead. In Afghanistan, Mujahideen guerrillas used RPG-7s to destroy Soviet vehicles. To assure

3432-525: The RPGs they had access to were unlikely to result in the destruction of the tank. Using RPGs as improvised anti-aircraft batteries has proved successful in Somalia, Afghanistan, and Chechnya. Helicopters are typically ambushed as they land, take off or hover. In Afghanistan , the Mujahideen often modified RPGs for use against Soviet helicopters by adding a curved pipe to the rear of the launcher tube, which diverted

3510-567: The Russian Drozd and Arena , as well as the recent Israeli Trophy Active Protection System . The RPG-30 was designed to address the threat of active protection systems on tanks by using a false target to trick the APS. The RPG-30 shares a close resemblance with the RPG-27 in that it is a man-portable, disposable anti-tank rocket launcher with a single-shot capacity. However, unlike the RPG-27, there

3588-692: The South Africans called the South African Border War . In the 2000s, they were still being used widely in conflict areas such as Chechnya , Iraq , and Sri Lanka . Militants have also used RPGs against helicopters: Taliban fighters shot down U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters in June 2005 and August 2011; and Somali militiamen shot down two U.S. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. RPGs were used by militants to destroy "hundreds" of vehicles (AFVs, armored Humvees etc) in

3666-547: The U.S.-supplied Stinger surface-to-air missiles became available to them, the Afghans abandoned RPG attacks as the smart missiles proved especially efficient in the destruction of unarmed Soviet transport helicopters, such as Mil Mi-17 . In Somalia , both of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters lost by U.S. forces during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993 were downed by RPG-7s. Collateral damage " Collateral damage "

3744-512: The US Army had ordered design changes to the Quick Kill system after some rocket motors in an APS interceptor showed 'splittage' in recent testing that summer. In December 2012, the Quick Kill active protection system defeated an extended set of threats, including one of the most lethal RPG threats by destroying it in mid-flight. The system used the same radar technology that warns Forward Operating Bases of incoming rocket and mortar attacks. The testing

3822-439: The Vietnam War and over several decades became entrenched in U.S. armed forces jargon. During the 1991 Gulf War , Coalition forces used the phrase to describe the killing of civilians in attacks on legitimate military targets . According to Scottish linguist Deborah Cameron , "the classic Orwellian arguments for finding this usage objectionable would be that In 1999, "collateral damage" ( German : Kollateralschaden )

3900-647: The anti-tank guns needed to defeat them became increasingly heavy, cumbersome and expensive. During WW II, as tank armor got thicker, larger calibre anti-tank guns were developed to defeat this thicker armor. While larger anti-tank guns were more effective, the weight of these anti-tank guns meant that they increasingly were mounted on wheeled, towed platforms. This meant that if the infantry was on foot, they might not have access to these wheeled, vehicle-towed anti-tank guns. This led to situations where infantry could find themselves defenseless against tanks and unable to attack tanks. Armies found that they needed to give infantry

3978-541: The armor are exploited. Various warheads are also capable of causing secondary damage to vulnerable systems (especially sights, tracks, rear and roof of turrets) and other soft targets. The warhead detonates on impact or when the fuse runs out; usually the fuse is set to the maximum burn of the rocket motor, but it can be shortened for improvised anti aircraft purposes. Specialized warheads are available for illumination, smoke, tear gas, and white phosphorus. Russia, China, and many former Warsaw Pact nations have also developed

SECTION 50

#1732883378339

4056-413: The backblast, allowing the RPG to be fired upward at aircraft from a prone position. This made the operator less visible prior to firing and decreased the risk of injury from hot exhaust gases. The Mujahideen also utilized the 4.5-second timer on RPG rounds to make the weapon function as part of a flak battery, using multiple launchers to increase hit probabilities. At the time, Soviet helicopters countered

4134-472: The blast pressures generated when the incoming warhead detonates, which is likely to buckle lightly armored vehicles. The system's vertical launch countermeasure is unique in its ability to engage threats fired from any angle or elevation, providing all weather, full 360-degree hemispherical vehicle and crew protection with each countermeasure. The system has demonstrated its ability to defeat multiple threat types by defeating two simultaneous threats. Strengths of

4212-450: The charge (charge diameters, CD), though greater depths of 10 CD and above have been achieved. Despite the popular misconception that shaped charges "melt" tank armor, the shaped charge does not depend in any way on heating or melting for its effectiveness; that is, the superplastic metal jet from a shaped charge impact on armor forms mainly due to a sudden and intense mechanical stress and does not melt its way through armor, as its effect

4290-439: The circumstances ruling at the time", which also states that "[s]uch damage is not unlawful so long as it is not excessive in light of the overall military advantage anticipated from the attack". In U.S. military terminology , the unintentional destruction of allied or neutral targets is called "friendly fire". The U.S. military follows a technology-based process for estimating and mitigating collateral damage. The software used

4368-529: The earliest RPG weapon systems such as the German Panzerschreck was that rocket motor propellant could harm the operator. The weapon therefore featured a metal shield attached to the launch tube to protect the operator’s face from the blast. With later designs such as the RPG-7, the rocket exits the launcher with a low-powered gunpowder charge, and the main rocket motor then fires after the rocket has travelled 10 m (33 ft). In some other designs,

4446-430: The ground role to suppress and destroy Chechen ambushes. Chechen fighters formed independent "cells" that worked together to destroy a specific Russian armored target. Each cell contained small arms and some form of RPG ( RPG-7 V or RPG-18 , for example). The small arms were used to button the tank up and keep any infantry occupied, while the RPG gunner struck at the tank. While doing so, other teams would attempt to fire at

4524-524: The incoming threat and destroys it with a focused blast warhead. The Quick Kill missile has 360-degree capability and a reload capability, with each launcher typically containing 4 missiles. It can be used stationary or on the move with a wide range of vehicles from armored personnel carriers to airborne helicopters . It is likely that the Humvee or JLTV would not be suitable for the Quick Kill APS, due to

4602-485: The main armor of the vehicle. Well-sloped armor also gives some protection because the shaped charge is forced to penetrate a greater amount of armor due to the oblique angle. The benefits of cage armor are still considered great in modern battlefields in the Middle East, and although similar effects can be obtained using spaced armor , either as a part of the original design or as appliqué armor fitted later, cage armor

4680-536: The natural environment which would be clearly excessive in relation to the concrete and direct overall military advantage anticipated. Article 8(2)(b)(iv) draws on the principles in Article 51(5)(b) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Conventions , but restricts the criminal prohibition to cases that are " clearly " excessive. The application of Article 8(2)(b)(iv) requires, inter alia , an assessment of: The USAF Intelligence Targeting Guide defines

4758-573: The newly formed Iraqi army to buy it, fearing that it would fall into the hands of insurgents. Various armies and manufacturers have developed add-on tank armor and other systems for urban combat , such as the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK) for M1 Abrams, slat armor for the Stryker , ERA kit for the FV432 , AZUR for Leclerc , and others. Similar solutions are active protection systems (APS), engaging and destroying closing projectiles, such as

SECTION 60

#1732883378339

4836-412: The operator after firing by sight, heat sensors or IR signatures; an RPG however is not guided towards the target. Nor can RPG rockets be controlled in flight after being aimed and launched. While the lack of active targeting technologies or after-firing guidance input can be viewed as a weakness, it also makes RPGs cheap and hard to defend against with electronic countermeasures or decoying. For example, if

4914-452: The propellant charge burns completely within the tube. An RPG is an inexpensive way for an infantryman to safely deliver an explosive payload or warhead over a short distance with reasonable accuracy. Substantially more expensive guided anti-tank missiles are used at larger distances when accuracy or an overfly top attack are paramount. Anti-tank missiles such as the Malyutka can be guided by

4992-443: The same place, such as by tandem-charge weapons, which fire two or more shaped charges in rapid succession. An early method of disabling shaped charges developed during World War II was to apply thin skirt armor or meshwire at a distance around the hull and turret of the tank. The skirt or mesh armor ( cage armor ) triggers the RPG on contact and much of the energy that a shaped charge produces dissipates before coming into contact with

5070-536: The shape of the explosive material within the warhead focuses the explosive energy on a copper (or similar metal) lining. This heats the metal lining and propels some of it forward at a very high velocity in a highly plastic state. The resulting narrow jet of metal can defeat armor equivalent to several hundred millimeters of RHA, such as that used in light and medium armored vehicles. However, heavily armored vehicles, such as main battle tanks, are generally too well armored to be penetrated by an RPG, unless weaker sections of

5148-529: The target in order to overwhelm the Russians' ability to effectively counter the attack. To further increase the chance of success, the teams took up positions at different elevations where possible. Firing from the third and higher floors allowed good shots at the weakest armor (the top). When the Russians began moving in tanks fitted with explosive reactive armor (ERA), the Chechens had to adapt their tactics, because

5226-612: The term "collateral damage" see it as a euphemism that dehumanizes non-combatants killed or injured during combat , used to reduce the perceived culpability of military leadership in failing to prevent non-combatant casualties . Collateral damage does not include civilian casualties caused by military operations that are intended to terrorize or kill enemy civilians (e.g., the bombing of Chongqing during World War II and Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure openly described as "retaliatory" and intended to "make towns uninhabitable"). The term "collateral damage"

5304-462: The term as the "unintentional damage or incidental damage affecting facilities, equipment, or personnel, occurring as a result of military actions directed against targeted enemy forces or facilities", stating that "[s]uch damage can occur to friendly, neutral, and even enemy forces". Another United States Department of Defense document uses "[u]nintentional or incidental injury or damage to persons or objects that would not be lawful military targets in

5382-494: The threat from RPGs at landing zones by first clearing them with anti-personnel saturation fire . The Soviets also varied the number of accompanying helicopters (two or three) in an effort to upset Afghan force estimations and preparation. In response, the Mujahideen prepared dug-in firing positions with top cover, and again, Soviet forces altered their tactics by using air-dropped thermobaric fuel-air bombs on such landing zones. As

5460-470: The use of shielded defenses, even including personal armor, that were impenetrable by standard rifle ammunition. This led to some isolated experiments with higher caliber rifles, similar to elephant guns , using armor-piercing ammunition . The first tanks , the British Mark I , could be penetrated by these weapons under the right conditions. Mark IV tanks , however, had slightly thicker armor. In response,

5538-602: The vehicle are exploited. Various warheads are also capable of causing secondary damage to vulnerable systems (especially sights, tracks, rear and roof of turrets) and other unarmored targets. The term "rocket-propelled grenade" is from the Russian acronym РПГ (Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankovy Granatomyot ), meaning "handheld anti-tank grenade launcher", the name given to early Russian designs. The static nature of trench warfare in World War I encouraged

5616-493: The wall and killed a number of Salvadorean soldiers. They eliminated the outermost sentries and searchlights with the rockets, then made it into the inner wall, which they also punched through. They were then able to create mayhem as their comrades attacked from the outside. During the First (1994–1996) and Second Chechen Wars (1999–2009), Chechen rebels used RPGs to attack Russian tanks from basements and high rooftops. This tactic

5694-460: The weapon. Even with the first tanks, artillery officers often used field guns depressed to fire directly at armored targets. However, this practice expended much valuable ammunition and was of increasingly limited effectiveness as tank armor became thicker. This led to the concept of anti-tank guns , a form of artillery specifically designed to destroy armored fighting vehicles , normally from static defensive positions (that is, immobile during

5772-426: Was effective because tank main guns could not be depressed or raised far enough to return fire, in addition, armor on the very top and bottom of tanks is usually the weakest. Russian forces had to rely on artillery suppression, good crew gunners and infantry screens to prevent such attacks. Tank columns were eventually protected by attached self-propelled anti-aircraft guns ( ZSU-23-4 Shilka , 9K22 Tunguska ) used in

5850-574: Was named the German Un-Word of the Year by a jury of linguistic scholars. With this choice, it was criticized that the term had been used by NATO forces to describe civilian casualties during the Kosovo War , which the jury considered to be an inhuman euphemism. Military necessity , along with distinction and proportionality , are three important principles of international humanitarian law , governing

5928-568: Was needed was a means of delivering the shaped charge warhead from a distance. Different approaches to this goal would lead to the anti-tank spigot mortar , the recoilless rifle , and, from the development of practical rocketry , the rocket propelled grenade. Research occasioned by World War II produced such weapons as the American bazooka , British/Allied PIAT and German Panzerfaust , which combined portability with effectiveness against armored vehicles, such as tanks. The Soviet -developed RPG-7

6006-615: Was replaced by the AT4 recoilless rifle, a larger & non-collapsible – albeit still single-shot weapon. The United States Army and Marine Corps also use a different launcher, which is reloadable – the M3 Multi-role Anti-armor Anti-tank Weapon System (MAAWs) derived from the 84mm Carl Gustav and the 83mm Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) derived from the Israeli B-300. Unlike

6084-460: Was scuttled by the US Army in favor of waiting for the Quick Kill system to be developed. In 2006–2007, the Institute for Defense Analysis found Quick Kill to be relatively immature and had significant development risks. Important components such as the radar were not yet fully developed and testing of the system as a whole was on hold while the warhead was redesigned. They also found Trophy, which uses

#338661