RPG-29

RPG-29
Public domain · source
Name	RPG-29
Origin	Soviet Union
Type	Antitank rocket launcher
Service	1989–present
Used by	See "Users and proliferation"
Designer	State Research and Production Enterprise "Bazalt"
Design date	1980s
Manufacturer	Bazalt
Weight	9.8 kg (launcher)
Length	1,100 mm (launcher)
Cartridge	105 mm tandem-charge rocket
Caliber	105 mm
Velocity	120–250 m/s (depending on warhead)
Range	Effective: 500–800 m; Max: 2,000 m

RPG-29 is a Soviet-designed shoulder-fired antitank rocket launcher developed in the 1980s and introduced into service in 1989. It was created to defeat modern main battle tanks equipped with composite armor, reactive armor, and explosive reactive armor produced during the Cold War era. The design entered wider attention following use in several post-Cold War conflicts, prompting discussions in publications tied to Hartford, London, Moscow, Beirut and other capitals where armored combat drew scrutiny.

Development and design

Design work on the RPG-29 was led by the Bazalt design bureau, a Soviet-era design house that also produced other antitank systems used by the Soviet Union and successor states such as Russia, Ukraine, and client states like Syria. The project responded to advances in armor fielded on platforms like the M1 Abrams, Challenger 2, Leclerc, and Merkava III, as well as to reactive armor packages developed by firms linked to defense ministries in Israel and France. The launcher combines a reusable fiberglass-reinforced tube and a disposable rocket motor assembly, following lineage from earlier systems associated with designers who worked on projects for Kalashnikov Concern and related agencies. Trials occurred at ranges and proving grounds associated with ministries in Tula, Kubinka, and other test centers linked to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Technical specifications

The RPG-29 is a single-shot, man-portable weapon with a smoothbore launch tube approximately 1.1 meters long and a firing weight near 9.8 kilograms for the launcher alone. Its rocket motor and projectile assembly yield an initial launch velocity between roughly 120 and 250 meters per second depending on the warhead and propellant batch produced at Bazalt facilities coordinated with factories in regions tied to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Russia). Sighting equipment developed for the system includes optical and passive night attachments that mirror sighting solutions used by units trained in doctrine shared among formations like those of the Russian Ground Forces, Syrian Arab Army, and various paramilitary groups observed by analysts from institutions such as IISS and RAND Corporation. Effective engagement range for moving and static targets is commonly quoted between 500 and 800 meters, while maximum flight distances can approach 2,000 meters in shore trials and open-terrain firings supervised by defense institutes in Minsk and Yekaterinburg.

Warhead and penetration capabilities

The standard warhead for the RPG-29 is a 105 mm tandem-charge shaped charge designed to defeat explosive reactive armor and layered composite armor arrays. Warhead design follows shaped-charge principles historically elaborated in studies at Moscow State University and development teams linked to specialists who contributed to projects for BAE Systems collaborators during foreign exchanges. Official and independent tests attributed to observers from Jane's Information Group, SIPRI, and military academies in Ankara estimate penetration of modern rolled-homogeneous, composite, and spaced-armor arrays at values exceeding several hundred millimeters of steel equivalence behind ERA. Specialized thermobaric and high-explosive warheads have also been fielded, altering terminal effects against fortifications and light armor, which were noted in after-action reports compiled by detachments associated with Hezbollah and militia units documented by investigative bodies in Beirut.

Operational history

The RPG-29 has seen combat use in multiple theaters since the 1990s, including conflicts in Kosovo, Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine. High-profile incidents attributed to the weapon include penetrations of armored vehicles reported by crews of M1 Abrams, T-72, T-90, and variants of the Merkava during urban and asymmetrical battles documented by international media outlets such as agencies from New York, Paris, and Berlin. Non-state actors and state militaries employed the launcher in ambushes, checkpoint assaults, and bunker-busting operations, with battlefield imagery and procurement records acquired by organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch corroborating deployments and effects. The weapon’s combat record influenced procurement and countermeasure programs in the United Kingdom, United States, Israel, and multiple European defense establishments.

Variants and upgrades

Multiple variants and upgrades have been produced, including systems optimized for tandem HEAT warheads, thermobaric charges, and training rounds. Bazalt and affiliated firms produced export versions and packaging that align with export control regimes overseen by ministries in Moscow and trading houses tied to defense deals with states such as Iran and Syria. Upgraded sighting suites and firing aids compatible with thermal imagers from suppliers in Germany, Israel, and Italy have been integrated in some operator inventories. Localized copies and improvised launchers based on the RPG-29’s design have been documented in workshops linked to militias in Baghdad and repair yards in Aleppo.

Users and proliferation

State users include forces from Russia, Syria, and several African and Middle Eastern militaries that acquired the launcher through bilateral arms agreements brokered by entities in Moscow and regional suppliers in Tehran. Non-state actors documented using the system include groups operating in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, with procurement and transfer chains traced by investigators to networks connecting brokers in Istanbul and logistics hubs in Dubai. International monitoring by organizations such as UNESCO-linked panels, SIPRI, and national export control agencies track transfers and end-use declarations affecting proliferation patterns.

Countermeasures and defenses

To mitigate the RPG-29 threat, armored vehicle designers and procurement agencies in London, Washington, D.C., Tel Aviv, and Paris invested in composite add-on armor, advanced explosive reactive armor modules, active protection systems produced by companies associated with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Dynamit Nobel Defence, and other contractors, and tactical doctrine emphasizing standoff, combined arms, and sensor fusion derived from training at institutions like the NATO Defence College and service academies in West Point and Saint-Cyr. Battlefield adaptation also includes vehicle spacing, slat armor, and counter-IED procedures cataloged in manuals issued by coalition forces operating in Baghdad and Kabul.

Category:Anti-tank weapons