Thoughts on the military and military activities of a diverse nature. Free-ranging and eclectic.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

RPG-29




This is coolbert:

Israeli ground forces are having a hard time with the Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. Hezbollah is equipped with all the latest equipment, purchased on the world armaments market or supplied by Iran or Syria.

The Israeli Merkava tank no longer has the omnipotence it once did. A formidable weapon, the Merkava has taken casualties. Evidently much to the surprise of the Israeli commanders.

Hezbollah fighters are equipped with anti-tank weaponry, of Russian design, that has the tandem High Explosive Anti Tank [HEAT] warhead.

Weaponry to include the METIS-M and the RPG-29.

METIS-M does have the dual HEAT warhead. Designed specifically to defeat reactive armor. Reactive armor of the Blazer variety, first developed and used by the Israeli. Supposedly, the METIS-M was tested against Russian T-80 and T-90 tanks and WAS ABLE to defeat frontal armor of both.

The RPG-29 is the latest incarnation of the hand-held, "panzerfaust" shoulder fired anti-tank weapon. Used by the infantryman to combat oncoming armor. The RPG-29 also has the tandem HEAT warhead.




[Back in my day, the Soviets only were up to the RPG-7 variety of anti-tank weapon.]

Russian weapons designers have not stood still since the fall of the communist state. New, more advanced and deadly weaponry is constantly being developed. I bet a lot of it is destined for the export market. To provide what they call "hard currency".

Even more threatening from the array of Hezbollah weaponry is the Zelzal-2 rocket. Provided evidently to Hezbollah again by the Iranians. A copy of the Soviet Free Rocket Over Ground [FROG]. All of Israel will be within range if the go-ahead is given to use this rocket. The Zelzal could carry a chemical/biological/nuclear warhead [??]. Or pack a huge wallop [half a ton of explosive??] from a conventional round. Supposedly the ayatollahs in Iran are the only ones that can give the command to use the Zelzal. Use of this rocket will constitute a significant escalation of hostilities.



coolbert.

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