RPG-27 rocket-propelled grenade, with barrel cut out to show the rocket inside
Caliber: 105 mm barrel and main warhead (64mm leading warhead)
Type: rocket
Overall length: 1135 mm
Weight: 8.3 kg complete
Effective range: up to 140 m
Armour penetration: ~ 600 mm RHA behind reactive armor
The RPG-27 rocket-propelled grenade was developed during late eighties to combat most modern main battle tanks equipped with composite and reactive armor. It was adopted by Russian army in 1989 and is still in production and use, and also is offered for export sales. Externally it looks like somewhat enlarged RPG-26 rocket-propelled grenade, although it uses tandem HEAT warhead similar to that used on PG-7VR round for RPG-7V grenade launcher.
The RPG-27 is a disposable, single shot rocket launcher pre-loaded with fin-stabilized rocket. The single-piece smoothbore barrel / container is made of fiberglass. The rocket is contained in the barrel tube, and its solid-fuel motor burns out completely within the barrel. Because the barrel is open at the rear to avoid recoil, there is a dangerous backblast area behind the firing weapon. In transport/storage mode both ends of the barrel are closed by the front and rear covers, made of rubber; those covers shall not be removed manually and are destroyed during the rocket launch. Firing mechanism is cocked manually by rising the rear sight; lowering the rear sight de-cocks the firing mechanism so the grenade can be brought back to safe mode if the there's no immediate target. The rocket is fin-stabilized (with switch-blade like fins at the rear), and its solid-propellant motor burns out completely while rocket is still in the barrel, accelerating it to about 120 m/s. The tandem, dual shaped charge (HEAT) warheads capable of defeating modern reactive armour plus at least 600 mm of homogenous steel armor behind it.
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