The Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)-series of weapons is the most widely used family of lightweight, shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons in the world...
more The Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)-series of weapons is the most widely used family of lightweight, shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons in the world today. Employed by scores of armies, guerrilla movements, and terrorist groups, RPGs have been used not only against their intended targets, armored fighting vehicles, but against personnel, fortifications, buildings, soft-skin vehicles, watercraft, and aircraft. They have even been used for assassinations. Lightweight, relatively compact, comparatively inexpensive, easy to operate and maintain, they meet most of the requirements of any armed group.Most sophisticated weapons tend to be just the opposite - heavy, cumbersome, excessively expensive, and requiring extensive training and an advanced support infrastructure. They are also more difficult to obtain due to export controls and restrictions. To be effective, an army actually needs a mix of both sophisticated and uncomplicated weapons. Gordon Rottman provides a detailed analysis of perhaps one of the most important weapons to be developed in the 20th century. He has been at the receiving end of the RPG-2 and RPG-7 as well as firing them himself, providing personal testament to the effectiveness with which they accomplished their missions and producing a fascinating launch title in Osprey's newest series: Weapon.
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