Reactive flamethrower bumblebee m. Reactive infantry flamethrower rpo-a bumblebee. Tactical and technical data RPO-A "Bumblebee"

The RPO-A 93mm rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower is an individual flamethrower weapon. It is designed to destroy enemy manpower located openly or located in long-term firing and other fortifications, as well as his military equipment and other objects.

Appointment and combat properties RPO flamethrower

Characteristics of the 93-mm rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower RPO-A (Bumblebee)

Maximum firing range - 1200 m

Sighting range shooting - 600 m

Combat rate of fire 2 rounds per minute.

starting speed ammunition flight - 130 m per second

Combat weight - 11 kg

Caliber - 93 mm

Flamethrower length - 920 mm

Application temperature from -50 to + 50 degrees

The given zone of destruction of an openly located manpower is 50 square meters.

Purpose of the 93-mm rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower RPO-A (Bumblebee)

The RPO-A 93mm rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower is an individual flamethrower weapon. It is designed to destroy enemy manpower located openly or located in long-term firing and other fortifications, as well as his military equipment and other objects.

Sighting range of a flamethrower with a diopter sight - 600 m, with an optical OPO - 450 m, OPO-1 - 850 m. Optical sight ensures successful firing at dusk, on a moonlit night and overcast weather.

The RPO-A flamethrower is a one-time weapon, cannot be reloaded, and is discarded after use.

RPO-A flamethrowers proved to be very effective weapons for fighting in the city. They were used as follows: a group of infantrymen, by their actions, provoked the enemy to open fire. Another group with intense fire forbade the maneuver of the enemy (pressed to the floor), and the flamethrowers deployed at the advantageous line almost destroyed several firing points with one salvo.

The general device of the RPO-A flamethrower

The flamethrower consists of the following components: container, ammunition, collet and engine.

Container designed to fire a shot, direct the ammunition to the target and ensure the hermetic packaging of the shell with equipment and the engine.

Engine designed to report the speed of the ammunition. Powder engine, separated from the ammunition in the barrel, with the expiration of part of the powder gases into the projectile space.

ammunition designed to hit the target. He is a feathered artillery shell, turning in flight. The ammunition has a capsule filled with fire mixture. The fire mixture is designed to hit the target.

When fired, the powder gases formed during the combustion of the propellant charge disperse the ammunition over the container by the pressure of the gases entering the projectile space. Part of the gases enters the gap between the shell and the container, balancing the pressure of the fire mixture that occurs during the shot on the walls of the shell. The front cover of the container is thrown off by the pressure of the air compressed between the shell and the cover, clearing the way for the ammunition to fly out. At the same time, powder gases, passing through the nozzle holes of the engine, throw back the liners that secure the engine from the container. When the ammunition leaves the barrel, under the action of elastic forces, the wings of the benchmark are straightened. When the ammunition meets the target, the impact mechanism of the fuse is triggered, causing the detonation of the igniter-explosive charge, the combustion products of which break the tube, the shell of the ammunition, ignite the fire mixture and scatter it on the target.

Parts and mechanisms of the RPO-A flamethrower

A flamethrower with proper care, proper storage and careful handling is a reliable and trouble-free weapon. However, as a result of careless handling of the flamethrower, contamination, as well as breakage of the firing mechanism, there may be delays in firing. In the event of a delay in firing, it is necessary to re-cock the firing mechanism and repeat the shot. If the shot did not occur during the re-arming, the flamethrower should be destroyed.

Safety measures when firing from an RPO flamethrower

1. Persons who have thoroughly studied its design and operating rules are allowed to fire from a flamethrower.

2. When the flamethrower is located in an open area near various solid barriers (walls, etc.), including objects military equipment located in danger zone, the distance between the flamethrower and the barrier should be at least 3 m behind, at least 1 m on the side. The volume of the room must be at least 45 cubic meters.

3. When firing from a prone position, the legs and body of the flamethrower should be at an angle of 600 to the axis of the flamethrower.

4.When aiming, the eye of the flamethrower should

be pressed against the eyecup of the optical sight.

5. On flat terrain, with an unprepared position, it is prohibited to shoot from the following positions:

Lying at a distance of more than 200 m;

From the knee to a distance of more than 400 m.

- use a pack or a separate flamethrower as a means of protection from bullets and shrapnel

Shoot without making sure that there are no parts of the belt on the rear cut of the flamethrower;

Remove the trigger mechanism from the fuse until the target is detected;

Shoot at targets closer than 20 m.

There should be no obstacles in the zone up to 20 m;

Throw a flamethrower.

7. Carrying, loading and unloading of flamethrowers is carried out in compliance with safety precautions that exclude their fall. In case of an accidental fall of the flamethrower on the ground from a height of up to 0.5 m. And the absence of external damage, the flamethrower is allowed to be used. If the flamethrower is accidentally dropped from a height of 0.5 to 3 m. Its performance is not guaranteed. In case of an accidental fall from a height of more than 3 m, the flamethrower must be destroyed in the prescribed manner.

8. When shooting through any component of the flamethrower with a bullet or fragment, detonation does not occur. However, the flamethrower is dangerous due to the possibility of its ignition or operation.

A soldier's equipment for urban combat must combine minimum weight and dimensions with guaranteed destructive power. This is exactly what the Bumblebee infantry flamethrower turned out to be.

What is a flamethrower

Usually, when asked about “what a flamethrower looks like”, an image pops up in my head that is familiar from films about the war: a bulky container-cylinder with an incendiary mixture and a bell in the hands of a soldier pouring fire on everything that was not lucky enough to be in the affected area. But the subject of this article looks different and looks more like an RPG-18 - a compact disposable cylinder to which a belt, mechanical sight and trigger are attached.

The history of the creation of the flamethrower "Bumblebee"

The prerequisites for the creation of the RPO-A (a deep modification of the already existing "Lynx") was the specificity of the conduct of hostilities in the mountains of Afghanistan. Afghan fighters used the difficult landscape to their advantage: they arranged shelters and firing points in the folds of the terrain, mountain crevices and caves. The entire range of existing small arms and grenade launchers used Soviet soldiers, often could not help in "smoking out" the enemy from such places, and oncoming fire did not allow you to get close enough to throw hand grenades or shooting from a knapsack flamethrower.

The development of the Bumblebee begins in the Tula KBP in 1984. The previous RPO, for all its effectiveness, had a number of problems: more weight, a small radius of destruction, a low range of aimed fire and almost complete uselessness against armored targets. New sample weapons surpassed the "Lynx" in all respects and was put into service in 1988. Among the soldiers who appreciated its striking and psychological effect, he receives the nickname "shaitan-pipe".

RPO design features

Structurally, the details of the "Bumblebee" are divided into three groups:

All visible parts, collectively referred to as a container. In fact, this is a body, sights and triggers, two handles, as well as a belt and knots for connecting to a pack (two RPOs tied to each other for carrying behind the fighter’s back);
Ammunition is a projectile that hits the target after being fired. It consists of a capsule with a fire mixture, a fuse and tablets of an igniter-explosive charge;
An engine that gives acceleration to the ammunition. Separated from him after a shot in the barrel. The work is based on the ignition of powder gases. It consists of an igniter, a propellant charge and a chamber.

The principle of operation and the consequences of a flamethrower

Thermobaric ammunition has not previously been used in infantry weapons, so the "Bumblebee" can be called revolutionary in this way. The projectile is arranged as follows: in the front there is a shaped charge that penetrates the armor and walls of buildings. After the target is hit, a fuse is triggered on a capsule with a fire mixture, which forms an instantly exploding aerosol cloud, which is especially dangerous in enclosed spaces. So, according to the memoirs of veterans of Afghanistan, a single shot from the "Bumblebee" is guaranteed to destroy all life in two-story house, not to mention the caves and makeshift mountain shelters it was originally designed against. The power of the cumulative part of the projectile is about 2.5 kg of TNT, which makes the RPO-A even more related to grenade launchers and allows it to hit lightly armored vehicles.

Specifications

Given in comparison with the previous and subsequent RPO:

Advantages and disadvantages of a flamethrower

The uniqueness of this weapon makes it the subject of frequent discussions. Supporters and opponents make the following arguments:

The advantages of "Bumblebee" include exceptional lethality, firing range, many times greater than knapsack flamethrowers, variability for performing various tasks and effectiveness in defeating light armor;
Of the negative aspects stand out: disposability, danger to the shooter (there were cases of detonation due to bullets or shrapnel hitting the container), excessive "inhumanity" - the possibility of defeat civilians or allied soldiers when used in urban combat.

In the meantime, disputes about the need or uselessness of this system in service with the Russian Federation have not subsided, technical thought has not stood still, and the ideological heirs of the Bumblebee appear.

RPO modifications and shells for RPO "Bumblebee"

To clarify, it is necessary to explain that the "Bumblebee" is a disposable weapon, and the letter after "RPO" means a type of completed projectile.

So, the first model had the following varieties:

The mass of ammunition is approximately four kilograms, and this is a third of the weight of the entire "Bumblebee".

Further work on it was carried out in two directions: on the one hand, an attempt to make the "Bumblebee" as compact and light as possible for the maneuverability of a soldier in urban combat while maintaining combat qualities, on the other, a more thoughtful and "complete" refinement of a jet flamethrower for the sake of a sample, comprehensively superior to both RPO-A and its analogues.

MRO

Modification, characterized by reduced weight, length and caliber - instead of 93 mm, a 72.5 mm projectile is used here. Structurally, it resembles the RPG-26 grenade launcher. Like the original, it exists in the configurations MPO-A (aerosol or thermobaric), MPO-Z (“classic incendiary” with a liquid flammable mixture) and MPO-D (smoke projectile).

RPO-M

Also known as Shmel-M, PDM-A. Here the letter M does not mean the type of ammunition, but "modified". In addition to reducing weight, the shooter can now carry three copies with him. A qualitatively new ammunition was developed (according to experts, in terms of power, close to a 152-mm artillery projectile) with a different composition of the aerosol mixture and a reinforced cumulative part. Carried out quality work above the ballistic component - the new projectile has greater range and accuracy, in addition, it is possible to use a removable sight (optical, night vision or thermal imager). The sight is removed from the container after the shot and can be installed on the next one without the need to zero in. It has been in service with the Russian army since 2004, according to unverified information, it was used during the conflict with Georgia.

RPV-16

Ukrainian analogue, relatively recently entered production. The design is almost identical to the RPO-A.

In addition to the flamethrower under discussion, thermobaric ammunition has been developed for the well-known RPG-7.

In addition to expressing opinions directly about the flamethrower, I propose to discuss in the comments whether such a development makes sense or is it an excess that is inferior to modern flamethrowers in performance characteristics?

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

The last decades have shown that for the successful conduct of hostilities, infantry units do not have enough familiar small arms, they need in principle new class hand weapons. Already during the Second World War, the armies of some countries of the world received hand grenade launchers that successfully performed the functions light artillery, such as the fight against enemy armored vehicles and fire support for the offensive during the assault on fortified points. Despite the imperfection of the first samples, they immediately proved their effectiveness.

Tasks of modern infantry

The increase in the role of each soldier in street fighting and the possibility of inflicting maximum damage on the enemy is ensured by the presence in his arsenal of a light, but very powerful weapon great destructive power. The Afghan war revealed the problems faced by combat units during active operations in highlands. Any complex terrain with many folds, ruins, residential buildings, industrial buildings or specially built defense facilities with powerful defenses create serious difficulties for the advancing troops to advance. To overcome them, the Tula gunsmiths at the end of the eighties created the Shmel thermobaric grenade launcher.

The backpack-type flamethrower, previously used to suppress fortified points, did not fully meet the requirements for modern assault weapons.

Classic type flamethrower and its disadvantages

A conventional flamethrower is quite simple. On his back, the fighter is forced to carry a volumetric tank with a combustible mixture, in his hands he has a means of direct destruction, which is something like a hose with an igniter, these two main units are connected by a hose. The advantage of this weapon is its simplicity, the large possible area of destruction and the strong psychological effect produced on the defenders, but there are also enough shortcomings. Firstly, it is not very convenient to attack with a heavy tank behind your back. Secondly, the distance of defeat is small, and in order to cause any significant damage to the enemy, you need to get close to him, and this is sometimes very difficult. The impressive size of the device makes it difficult to covertly approach. Thirdly, this weapon is dangerous not only for the enemy, but also for the flamethrower himself, since any damage to the tank or hose will cause spontaneous ignition of the combustible mixture and, as a result, a terrible and painful death. The Bumblebee is spared these design flaws.

A new type of flamethrower

In 1984, Soviet weapons developers received an order from the army for a new tool. fire damage manpower and equipment of the enemy. The range of action should be at least half a kilometer. The power required is large, with the ability to suppress well-fortified targets. At the same time, the device must be made light, so that the soldier can not only walk with it, but run and climb mountains. In practice, a hand cannon weighing ten kilograms was needed.

It was difficult to complete such a technical task. But the Tula gunsmiths from the State Research and Production Enterprise "Basalt" worked and created the "Bumblebee". The flamethrower turned out great. Consider its main characteristics.

"Bumblebee": a flamethrower and its deadly flight

The flamethrower, nicknamed the “shaitan-pipe” by the internationalist soldiers, is similar in principle to a conventional rocket-propelled grenade launcher. The main difference is in the rocket projectile with which it is loaded. When hitting a target, the Bumblebee hand-held flamethrower not only forms blast wave and fragments, but creates a volumetric explosion on the principle of vacuum ammunition. This quality made it an indispensable means of fighting the Mujahideen hiding in crevices or under layers raised by jacks. rocks. The Shmel jet flamethrower is also suitable for destroying armored vehicles, the barothermal shock created during the explosion will disable the crew of an unpressurized tank or armored personnel carrier on an area of 50 square meters open area with a total volume of guaranteed destruction of 80 cubic meters.

Tactical and technical data RPO-A "Bumblebee"

The flamethrower is most effective at a distance of 400 meters, but it is possible to shoot accurately at six hundred meters. "Bumblebee" is light and compact, it weighs 11 kg, which is quite a bit for a weapon of such destructive power, and is a cylindrical body 92 cm long and a decimeter in diameter with a protruding pistol grip and sight. Projectile caliber - 93 mm. A charge weighing 2 kg 100 g creates a volumetric explosion, which determines its high efficiency.

New "Bumblebee" RPO-PDM-A

No matter how good the "Bumblebee" is, the Tula specialists were able to improve it. The next modification received an additional RPO-PDM-A index (PDM means "increased range and power"). Now it strikes at 1.7 km with an effective aiming distance of 800 m. The mass of the charge has also been increased to 6 kg, and the flamethrower itself has become lighter, it weighs 8 kg 800g. He has one more feature, the new Shmel-M flamethrower is equipped with a removable control unit with an optical

Weight reduction was achieved through the use of composite materials, in particular, the launch tube is made of heavy-duty fiberglass. To protect the projectile from external influences and mechanical damage, rubber covers are used that fly off when it exits. The rocket is initiated using an electronic ignition system. Another one design feature consists in integrating a solid fuel engine with a charging compartment.

"Bumblebees" for export

Unique weapons are one of important articles Russian exports, and there is nothing wrong with that. We will not sell - others will do it. It is all the more important to use The world has not yet created portable systems that could surpass the Shmel flamethrower in terms of thermobaric efficiency. Photos and videos sent by correspondents of news channels from the hot spots of the planet demonstrate the sad popularity of this weapon even in the most exotic countries. According to military experts, this small device can produce the same amount of destruction as a 155mm howitzer...

The RPO-A 93mm rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower is an individual flamethrower weapon. It is designed to destroy enemy manpower located openly or located in long-term firing and other fortifications, as well as his military equipment and other objects.

Purpose and combat properties of the RPO flamethrower

Characteristics of the 93-mm rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower RPO-A (Bumblebee)

Maximum firing range - 1200 m

Sighting range - 600 m

Combat rate of fire 2 rounds per minute.

The initial flight speed of the ammunition - 130 m per second

Combat weight - 11 kg

Caliber - 93 mm

Flamethrower length - 920 mm

Application temperature from -50 to + 50 degrees

The given zone of destruction of an openly located manpower is 50 square meters.

Purpose of the 93-mm rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower RPO-A (Bumblebee)

The aiming range of a flamethrower with a diopter sight is 600 m, with an optical OPO - 450 m, OPO-1 - 850 m. The optical sight ensures successful firing at dusk, on a moonlit night and cloudy weather.

The RPO-A flamethrower is a one-time weapon, cannot be reloaded, and is discarded after use.

The general device of the RPO-A flamethrower

The flamethrower consists of the following components: container, ammunition, collet and engine.

Container designed to fire a shot, direct the ammunition to the target and ensure the hermetic packaging of the shell with equipment and the engine.

Engine designed to report the speed of the ammunition. Powder engine, separated from the ammunition in the barrel, with the expiration of part of the powder gases into the projectile space.

ammunition designed to hit the target. It is a feathered artillery shell that rotates in flight. The ammunition has a capsule filled with fire mixture. The fire mixture is designed to hit the target.

Parts and mechanisms of the RPO-A flamethrower

Safety measures when firing from an RPO flamethrower

1. Persons who have thoroughly studied its design and operating rules are allowed to fire from a flamethrower.

2. When the flamethrower is located in an open area near various solid barriers (walls, etc.), including objects of military equipment located in the danger zone, the distance between the flamethrower and the barrier must be at least 3 m behind, at least on the side 1 m. When the flamethrower is located indoors, the distance between the flamethrower and the wall located at the back must be at least 6 m, from the side - at least 1 m; The volume of the room must be at least 45 cubic meters.

3. When firing from a prone position, the legs and body of the flamethrower should be at an angle of 600 to the axis of the flamethrower.

4.When aiming, the eye of the flamethrower should

be pressed against the eyecup of the optical sight.

5. On flat terrain, with an unprepared position, it is prohibited to shoot from the following positions:

Lying at a distance of more than 200 m;

From the knee to a distance of more than 400 m.

- use a pack or a separate flamethrower as a means of protection from bullets and shrapnel

Shoot without making sure that there are no parts of the belt on the rear cut of the flamethrower;

Remove the trigger mechanism from the fuse until the target is detected;

Shoot at targets closer than 20 m.

There should be no obstacles in the zone up to 20 m;

Throw a flamethrower.

fiery somersault If we discard dry numbers and facts, then rocket-propelled flamethrowers with thermobaric ammunition are the most deadly weapon infantry. new type ammunition, work on which began during the fighting in Afghanistan, in the future could give excellent opportunities to defeat the enemy’s manpower without involving additional forces and means. The essence of a jet flamethrower, in a nutshell, is that ammunition that causes serious damage to the enemy does not need to wait from the air, requesting aircraft, or deliver using cannon or rocket artillery. Many of those who study small arms, in particular, infantry, the question arises - really the good old RPG-7 did not solve 100% of the tasks of destroying fortifications? Certainly he did. However, during the same Afghan campaign, it turned out that the consumption of ammunition to defeat one fortified firing point of the Mujahideen required 5-6 cumulative shots. This amount of ammunition is veterans afghan war they give only as an example, since it happened that up to 10 shots from an RPG-7 were spent on a well-built fortification. Coming into service Soviet troops replaced another jet flamethrower - "Lynx". A jet flamethrower with thermobaric ammunition, capable of reaching the most powerful enemy in any terrain and any shelters, was adopted by the Soviet troops in 1988. At the same time, it became clear that now infantry formations would be able to cope with the task on their own, without involving artillery or air strikes. enemy point. Address work "Bumblebee"
The most massive use, to the surprise of many, was not in Afghanistan, but in fighting in the North Caucasus. It was during the battles for Chechnya, Dagestan and other regions of the Caucasus that it became clear that it was the “targeted” work of the RPO “Bumblebee” that was his real vocation. If you look for messages from those years (from 1994 to 1999 inclusive), literally through one printed edition you can find in the materials a mention of the "secret vacuum weapon" that the militants were so afraid of. And although the term "vacuum" ammunition itself is fundamentally wrong, the main in those difficult years, when the opposition to radical bandit formations was just beginning, there was another thing left - the effectiveness of the thermobaric munition. Outbuildings, houses, garages - all this was used as firing points. Of course, it was possible to crush such with the help of tanks, but the collateral damage was unacceptable. The use of "Bumblebee" in this case was justified one hundred percent. With one shot, it was possible to “gouge” almost any fortified point - be it a house, a barn or the like, ”says a soldier of the federal troops, Captain Yuri Senkov, in an interview with Zvezda. “Thermobaric ammunition with its fuel-air mixture burned like sticky, any the number of bandits inside. The area of work - it is difficult to measure in meters, but in fact ... in two adjacent rooms the militants were simply roasted. 50 meters is obtained if counted,” the captain continues. “An interesting feature of the flamethrower is the characteristic “shift” of the roof of almost any building on which it is used. If we are talking, for example, about a building that was once residential building, in which the militants took refuge, then at the moment of the hit one can observe how the roof of the house "bounces" and slides to one side, if the building, of course, remains intact. Frankly speaking, I watched entire buildings only a couple of times after the shot, ”says Captain Yuri Senkov.
Hand lighter and anti-sniper flamethrower
An aerosol cloud and a shock wave penetrating even the smallest cracks are a universal means for suppressing the enemy. In fact, the destruction of the target occurs even without directly breaking through the barrier. In the case of a hit in a building, a fortified firing point, any type of transport, there will not be much difference for a thermobaric ammunition. However, an air-fuel mixture exploding with incredible force is not the only way the Bumblebee can greet the enemy. There are other reactive "gifts" in the ammunition nomenclature. In addition to the RPO-D smoke flamethrower, the warhead of which is a mixture that forms up to 80 meters of a dense smoke screen, there is another, no less interesting option - RPO-3. The incendiary version of the jet flamethrower carries a special capsule with a fire mixture inside and turns even a capital building into one blazing fire. For example, there was a case when they decided to smoke out a sniper and a group of militants from RPO-3. First, they suppressed it with small arms fire, then they threw VOGs at them, and towards the end, the fighter, who had been preparing for shooting all this time, hit the building with a Bumblebee. The fire was almost until the morning. Then the building was cleared and the surviving militants were not found. All that was found was smoldering incomprehensible lumps and fragments of clothing, ”recalls a veteran of military operations in the Caucasus, Captain Yuri Senkov. According to the military, "Bumblebee" is still one of the most versatile means for the treatment of terrorism in any, even the most neglected form. Recognized power The unique infantry flamethrower is almost the only one of its kind. The unique combination of a reliable shipping container, reliable descent and sights, which any conscript soldier can handle in 10 minutes and special ammunition make the Bumblebee a truly terrifying weapon. That is how they dubbed it in the American edition of Popular Mechanics. It is not in vain that the American edition admires the capabilities of the RPO, because a fiery cloud, reaching seven meters in diameter and carrying out an instant “roasting” of the enemy, can be compared in terms of impact with a 152-mm artillery shell. directed, notes the author of the article in the American edition of Popular Mechanics. However, watching the hits of the Russian "Bumblebee" and admiring its unique abilities is only half the battle. The layout of the building, which was built by two or three drafts on one of the training grounds, had to be conditionally hit with aimed shots. Considering that two or three people are firing from jet "Bumblebees" at once, the shooting turned out to be so spectacular that after the third shot struck, the building of three floors and two entrances was formed. I fully admit that it could be built on hastily, just for demonstration purposes. But even such destruction says a lot, ”recalls Yuri Senkov. The level of high-explosive impact on armored vehicles is another unique indicator booked for. The military admits that making a hole in light armored vehicles with a “two-band Bumblebee” (meaning the marking in the form of two red stripes on the front of the flamethrower) can be no worse than some 125-mm artillery shell. The use of the Shmel RPO in the North Caucasus during the first and second Chechen campaigns showed that infantry formations armed with rocket-propelled flamethrowers can not only effectively suppress enemy manpower, but also great success"leak" a significant amount of equipment. The developers of "Bumblebee" - the Tula Instrument Design Bureau, despite the resounding success of their product, do not think to stop there. Judging by the RPO PDM-A presented in 2010 (the abbreviation stands for "increased range and power"), Russian gunsmiths not only managed to reduce the weight of the portable flamethrower kit - up to 19 kg (two containers), but also significantly increased the firing range, coming close to the mark of 1700 meters. The mass and power of the warhead of the new RPO PDM-A was increased, and this sure sign the fact that a new, very intriguing chapter begins in the history of domestic jet flamethrowers.