171114 fireState-owned defense industries group Ukroboronprom, Ukraine’s major defense contractor, has developed new thermobaric weapons products – the RPO-16 rocket-propelled flamethrower (developed by Ukroboronprom’s Scientific Research Institute of Chemical Products) and RGO-27S and RGT-27S2 thermobaric grenades (State-owned Artem Holding Company).

 


The new weapons were demonstrated for the first time during field trials at Honchariv Firing Range outside Chernihiv, attended by Oleksandr Turchynov, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary in late July 2017.


It will be recalled that thermobaric weapons, otherwise referred to in military literature as fuel-air explosive (FAE) munitions, are intended to defeat the enemy by generating a cloud of high-temperature flame (blast), thus allowing for significant incendiary effect in addition to the massive pressure wave.
The RPO-16 is man-portable, rocket-propelled flamethrower firing a 93-mm rocket with a thermobaric filler to defeat enemy personnel, even those sheltered behind strong physical barriers.


The blast effect of the thermobaric RPO-16 warhead is roughly equivalent to the blast effect of a large-caliber HE artillery shell.
Upon completion of the trials, O. Turchynov was left satisfied with the results, saying the new product showed itself to be an effective weapon, and the “RPO-16 flamethrower looks impressive”.

2384067 originalArtem’s RGO-27S and RGT-27S2 thermobaric grenades were demonstrated during that same testing event at Honchariv Firing Range.
Each of the grenades weighs under 600 grams. Upon explosion, it generates a 13 cubic meter, 2.500o C flame cloud lasting as long as two seconds. It is claimed to be effective against personnel and light armored equipment.


Russia is known to possess an arsenal of thermobaric weapons and was reported to have used them extensively against Ukrainian government forces deployed in the Donbas conflict area. Now that Ukraine has got possession of similar weapons, it has achieved a degree of parity with the enemy in terms of thermobaric weapons capability.


Overall, it’s no doubt good news that Ukroboronprom has started work to develop this class of weapons and make them available to Ukraine’s military. And there is hope that the new Ukrainian products, following the successful completion of qualification trials, will become interesting to potential export customers too.

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