The Strategypage is a comprehensive summary of military news and affairs.
 News As History - November 22, 2009




New Strategy - Wargames at Discount Prices
1.Modern Air Power: War Over the Middle East
2.Commander: Napoleon at War
3.Close Combat: Watch am Rhein
4.Gallic Wars
5.Fast Action Battle: The Bulge

100+ Computer and Board games all with free shipping.
 
 
 
Military History | How To Make War | Wars Around the World Rules of Use
How to Behave on an Internet Forum
Infantry Discussion Board
Sign In   Return to Topic Page
Subject: Americans clone the RPG-7
doggtag    5/4/2009 2:20:45 PM
So did we (SP and posters in general) miss this one altogether,
or have I just not seen whatever/wherever it posted up here?

It appears a compnay called Airtronic USA has developed its own version of the RPG-7, even to the point they are/were hoping to perk US military interest (to the point they even use an AR-15/M16 type handgrip and an M4 style buttstock).

First saw it in a recent Jane's email,
then searched around a bit and found an article about it over at DefenseReview.Com...

ht*p//www.defensereview.com/airtronic-usa-rpg-7-amerikansky-rocket-propelled-grenade-launcher/

 
Quote    Reply

Email Me When A New Comment Is Made
Show Only Poster Name and Title     Sort in Reverse Order Posted

doggtag       5/4/2009 2:28:10 PM
Hope this link works,
again courtesy of DefenseReview.Com.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quote    Reply

YelliChink       5/4/2009 2:39:41 PM
Probably the contractor of a TRADOC project to find out how and why crappy RPG-7 is so popular and somewhat effective in the hands of terrorists and 3rd war militiamen.
 
Quote    Reply

WarNerd       5/5/2009 2:38:02 AM
Airtronic USA seems to do a lot of development work for the DoD.  I suspect that the design is primarily to provide a cost basis for a study comparing a domestically produced RPG equivalent vs. current and planned alternatives.
 
Quote    Reply

doggtag    domestic (American) copy vs the real deal   5/5/2009 4:04:13 AM
I'd be curious to see how well they match up in per-unit price.
My guess is the Airtronics kit comes in more expensive than any of the other nations producing it...(just seems to be an American thing: take another idea, and add bells and whistles to justify the insane price increase).
 
Not like the RPG series launchers ever really required tight tolerances of their components, simplicity, robustness, and cheap and easy to manufacture being the goal.
 
Now if some western companies started developing more lethal and capable rounds for it, then we'd have the competitive edge (but again, that's providing we don't charge 4-5 times more for each round!)
 
Looking at various other shaped charge warheads, I'm curious how potent a new generation HEAT warhead in 85mm could be made compared to standard (original designs) Russian/former WP production (copper liners?).
 
But the kicker has always been, it still requires a separate laucher system altogether,
unlike the hook-it-under-anyone's-AR M203 (which certainly lacks a comparable punch, but can make up for it in the fact that more troops can be issued it without overcomplicating their current weapons loads).
 
Still, I'd to have a try at something like this (second entry, with the pic) myself, giving every soldier RPG-like anti-armor lethality capabilities but without the bulky weight of always carrying around an RPG launcher (and having to be concerned with its backblast area) or the semi-permanently-attached M203.
(Being a leftie (-handed) myself, I never could get used to the right-handed/right-shoulder firing posture necessary to properly use the M203...)
 
Quote    Reply



StrategyWorld.com© 1998 - 2009StrategyWorld.com. All rights Reserved. StrategyWorld.com, StrategyPage.com, FYEO, For Your Eyes Only and Al Nofi's CIC are all trademarks of StrategyWorld.com Privacy Policy