Still a Killer: Why Russia s Old RPG-7 Rocket Launcher Lives On
The rocket-propelled grenade has been a potent weapon of war that has been used throughout the world since the 1950s.
Key point: This weapon has undergone several changes that have only made it more lethal. Here is how it has been exported and used in conflicts around the globe.
One of the most iconic weapons of war ever made arose from Soviet experiences in World War II, when Red Army infantry had no answer to invading German panzers. Simple and effective, the broomlike RPG-7 became one of the most effective antitank weapons of the postwar period. Widely exported, the “RPG” became a symbol of revolution and terror, fielded by armies and guerrillas from Berlin to Phnom Penh.