Reactive infantry flamethrower RPO-A "Bumblebee" in the stowed position.
Reactive infantry flamethrower RPO-A "Bumblebee" in combat position, and a thermobaric shot assembled with a propellant charge next to it.
Caliber: 93 mm
Type: dynamoactive / recoilless
Length: 920 mm
The weight: 12 kg
Effective firing range: 200 m (1000 m maximum firing range)
The development of a one-time reactive (in fact, a dynamo-reactive, i.e. recoilless) flamethrower for the chemical troops of the Soviet army was started in 1984 at the Tula Instrument Design Bureau under the code designation "Bumblebee". In 1988, the chemical troops (RKhBZ troops) of the Soviet Army received a one-time reactive infantry flamethrower "Bumblebee" in three basic versions - RPO-A with a thermobaric warhead, RPO-Zs incendiary fire part and RPO-D with a smoke warhead (for instant setting smoke curtains). The main version of the "Bumblebee" was the RPO-A variant with a thermobaric warhead, otherwise called a volume explosion ammunition (Fuel-Air Explosive in English terminology, that is, a fuel-air explosive mixture). The Shmel grenade launchers are still in service with the Russian army and other law enforcement agencies.
The name "thermobaric" warhead RPO-A was due to two main damaging factors that occur during the explosion of a sprayed cloud of a fuel-air mixture - a shock wave (zone high blood pressure) and high temperature in the burning cloud of the mixture (at the same time, the fiery cloud itself exists for a very long time according to "explosive" standards - up to 0.3 - 0.4 seconds, which ensures a high incendiary effect). The principle of operation of a thermobaric warhead is to spray (using a small expelling charge) a fuel aerosol in the air and then ignite the resulting combustible cloud. Due to the fact that the explosion (combustion of the fuel-air mixture) occurs immediately in a significant volume (the diameter of the fire cloud when the RPO-A warhead is triggered can reach 6-7 meters), reliable destruction of living and lightly protected targets located inside and near the cloud is ensured, the destruction of buildings and etc. A cloud of fuel aerosol before ignition also tends to "leak" (penetrate) into windows, embrasures and crevices of shelters, trenches, ensuring, when it is ignited, hitting targets that are not in the "line of sight" zone from the point of impact and operation of the warhead. It should also be specially noted that the term "vacuum ammunition" sometimes used in relation to thermobaric ammunition is categorically incorrect and illiterate, because when a cloud of a fuel-air mixture is ignited, oxygen in the air (which makes up only about 20% of the composition of the atmosphere) reacts with the fuel and produces a large volume of incandescent combustion products, i.e. the pressure in the detonation zone increases sharply, and does not fall.
For RPO-A, the mass of the fuel mixture is approximately 2.2 kg, which, in terms of high-explosive action at the target, is equivalent to 6-7 kg of TNT or an explosion of a 107mm high-explosive artillery shell.
The rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower RPO-A "Bumblebee" consists of a disposable launcher in the form of a tube-barrel, factory-equipped with a feathered warhead and a propellant charge (engine) attached to it from behind. The launcher is equipped with folding handles for holding weapons, trigger and safety mechanisms and folding sights in the form of a fixed front sight and a folding rear sight with a set of diopter holes for different firing ranges. A grenade launcher shot is a thin-walled metal capsule filled with fuel, incendiary mixture or smoke mixture, with rear-mounted stabilizers made of thin spring steel, in the usual position "wrapped" around the capsule body. When fired, the powder charge located in the engine pushes the capsule out of the barrel, while the engine itself remains in the barrel, and after the capsule exits, it is ejected by residual pressure from the launch tube back several meters. After firing, the launch tube is ejected. For transportation, two launchers can, with the help of special fasteners, be combined into a single bale for carrying (a standard complete bale includes RDO-A and RPO-D, however, the troops often repack bales before going on a combat mission to ensure the desired configuration in combat conditions ).
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 flamethrowerCharacteristics 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.
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 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.
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.
RPO-A flamethrowers proved to be very effective weapons for urban combat. 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 constituent parts: 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.
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 the danger zone, the distance between the flamethrower and the barrier must be at least 3 m at the back, at least 1 m at the side. When the flamethrower is located indoors, the distance between the flamethrower and the wall located behind must be at least 6 m not less than 1m; 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.
The flamethrower is designed to destroy enemy manpower located both in open areas and in various types of structures, lightly armored and automotive vehicles, destroy fortified buildings, ground or semi-buried structures made of stone, brick or concrete.
RPO PDM-A "Shmel-M" - a new generation of high-precision assault weapons that allows you to solve wide range fire support missions in close combat. The flamethrower is easy to use.
RPO PDM-A - modernization of the high-performance jet infantry flamethrower "Bumblebee" providing:
- increasing the power of the warhead by 2 times;
- increase in firing range by 1.7 times;
- weight reduction by 1.3 times.
The flamethrower is always ready for immediate use. Differs in high reliability, allows to move mobilely on a cross-country terrain. During storage, the flamethrower is not subject to maintenance.
Device
- 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. The container consists of a pipe with flanges, on it are placed: trigger mechanism, sighting device, belt, knots of connection in a pack (front and rear bandages).
- ammunition designed to hit the target. It is a feathered artillery shell that rotates in flight. The ammunition consists of a capsule filled with fire mixture, a fuse and a block of tablets of an igniter-explosive charge.
The shell with equipment is attached to the engine with a collet.
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 shell space of the barrel. It consists of a chamber, a propellant charge and an igniter.
Specifications
Video
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 terrain to their advantage: they arranged shelters and firing points in terrain folds, mountain crevices and caves. The entire range of existing small arms and grenade launchers used by 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 fire from a backpack 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. The new type of weapon 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 a fighter);
- 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 Afghanistan veterans, a single shot from the "Bumblebee" is guaranteed to destroy all life in a two-story house, not to mention caves and improvised mountain shelters, against which it was originally developed. The power of the cumulative part of the projectile is about 2.5 kg in TNT equivalent, 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 the "Bumblebee" include exceptional striking ability, a firing range that is 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 hitting 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 hand, 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. High-quality work has been done on 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 terms of tactical and technical characteristics?
If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.
