It probably has been attempted. By those one-legged terrorists.:wink: The article you cited makes an damned interesting point about new warheads being developed for the old rocket. I didn't know that. One of the reasons it doesn't seem practical to me to bring down a plane with an RPG is that you have to make a direct hit. The AT warhead has a shaped charge that explodes straight ahead on contact. The portable SAM's have a proximity fuse/fragmentation warhead that can take down a plane with a near miss. Something I've always wondered is why the US military mostly went with the 40mm grenade launcher instead of its own RPG, especially when the RPG seems to be more effective. Why do you think that is?
Well, the 40mm grenade launcher can be fired over and over again, since it's a belt-fed weapon. But, it's more of an area target weapon that doesn't necessarily have a whole lot of precision. It can do a good amount of damage, however. We also have the AT-4 and the Javelin, which can be very effective. As for not using the RPG, my only guess would be because it's a Soviet weapon. I guess it's kind of like asking why we don't use the AK-47. Keep in mind, this assumption is coming from an Air Wing pogue, so I'm not the authority on this stuff, but it's what I can piece together from the training I have received. I'm sure saltyone knows a lot more about it and could have a much better answer for you.
actually an rpg has a built-in mechanism to detonate after a given range. Im not sure how far but its a safety device so if you miss it will explode before coming back to the launch area. i think it was the afghans who discovered this against the russians so thats pretty ironic if i remember correctly. so you pretty much get a s2a type airburst missile for gazillions less. the smaw was our rendition of the rpg initially and were used a decent amount in desert storm so we do learn. i think they're much more advanced now (at4) regarding sites and range. definitely way more accurate than an rpg. (wheres salty when you finally need him) its just theres so many freaking rpgs (and aks). i think over half of all our casualties in iraq are a result of an rpg. they seem tailor-made for this urban-guerilla crap warfare if you're them. just another reason to hate the russians.
5.56 is hands down the better round. As far as the 40mm grenade and RPG conversation goes, these weapons serve two different purposes. Coming from a heavy machine gun background, I've used the MK19 a great deal. The primary purpose of the MK19 is suppression. Like it's little brother, the M203, it is great for firing over hills and built up positions. A person can adjust their shots and have them land directly on the far side of wall or right through a window. The cyclic rate of the MK19 allows a single vehicle to lay down a great deal of fire. Six round burst, with about eight burst per minute is about right. In between burst, the gunner and A-gunner can adjust the deflection and elevation of the weapon. Casualty radius of the 40mm round is 15 meters with a 5 meter kill radius. A good gunner (which I was) could really do some damage to troops in the open. :grin: With the Combined Anti-Armor Sections of our Weapons companies, (Far vehicle has the MK19. The TOW is the 2nd from the end, and the next is the .50 Cal. The near vehicle looks to have a 240G 7.62mm machine gun mounted on it.) we would use the MK19 in conjuction with the .50 cal and TOW 2 missile launcher. The .50 and MK19 could move into postion, suppress the target, and the TOW would come up and take it's shot. Back in the day, we were paying over 25k per TOW, so it's safe to say that a Marine gunner didn't miss. We utilize the AT4, in the same way most other's use the RPG. It is good for taking out fortified positions. A rifle squad usually carried two or three at all times. They're great for taking out sniper positions from buildings and lightly armored vehicles. I've never seen it done, but I'm sure that an AT4 could knock the track off of a T72. Take out the tracks, and you pretty much kill a tank. I wouldn't recommend sticking around after you made the shot however. The Corps does have man portable rockets for taking out more heavily armored vehicles. We used the Dragon up till about 2000. Since then we've had the Javelin. If I'm not mistaken, the Javelin can take out just about anything. What's great about the Javelin, is the fact that it's truely "fire and forget". There is no wire needed to guide the missile to it's target. The newer versions of the TOW have also done away with the guide wire. The TOW, pictured below, is very versatile and is used on ground vehicles as well as airborne platforms.
those pictures and descriptions are really well done salty. thats cool stuff. my dad was in the army reserves for 20 years commanding something or other involving ordnance, and he always showed me photos of various bombs and big guns when i was kid. he is a chemist and was into bombs and such. that stuff rules. my dad believes is is unnecessary to have different service branches in the military, and they could have just 1 thing instead of dividing troops into the army and marines and all that. what do you think about that?
I just wanted to say Go Isreal!! I haven't read through this entire thread but it caught my eye because I thought there would be more anti-Isreal people here than seems to be. It wouldn't hurt my feelings between Isreal and the USA, if we wiped out every country where these extremists are from. That is the only way to get rid of them and stop them dead in their tracks. That will also ensure that this disease doesn't breed anymore of them. Anybody oppose this view, well, they started it we didn't. The world including the USA was wrong to stand by and let this suicide/ homicide bombers attack and kill innocent civilians for years and it grew into something much worse. The US Army and Air Force were once one organization, the US Army Air Corps.
Yeah, I wasn't clear about that. Certainly the crew-served weapons are quite different. I was actually talking about the M203 because it is like the RPG in that an infantry squad carries them all the time. I've heard quite a lot about the TOW, of course, and good things about the AT-4, but we don't hear so much about Javelin or Dragon kills. Why is that, do you think? I've never been around the MK19, just seen the video which is impresssive. I did get to fire an M-2 and it was a major kick in the ass. Until then I had no appreciation of just what kind of range a 50-caliber has. You can shoot as far as you can see. And up close it has real hitting power. No wonder it has been around so long.
I don't like the thought one bit. The Corps and the Army are very different. I was in the army prior to joining the Corps. I can tell you, from first hand experience, that the two branches are not the same or interchangeable. Yes, we have similar weapons, vehicles, and clothing, but the similarities pretty much stop there. Our missions are different, in that, Marines are expeditionary in nature and the army is more of a mass occupying force. The Marine Corps is swift, we can be anywhere in the world in just a matter of hours. We travel light and fast. The army, on the other hand, takes a little longer to move into position. That is why the Corps is known as "First to Fight". Don't get me wrong, there are very good soldiers in the army. I respect the rangers that I have trained with. My first cousin is a SFC in DC and works with the president. He is a very good soldier, and would have made a good Marine also. The army just isn't near as exclusive as the Marine Corps is. Our 40% attrition rate in Boot Camp is fine, as long as we're sending only the very best to the Fleet. The weak that escape Boot Camp are weeded out during their 2nd phase of training prior to reporting to the Fleet. "The Few, The Proud". Part of becoming a Marine is attitude. Boot Camp is more mental than anything else. Being a Marine is a lot bigger than ones self. Being a Marine is way more than just a job or career. It's a responsibility. We hold ourselves, and others, to very high standards. "Once a Marine, Always a Marine". The Corps is an extremely tight fraternity. Every Marine is my brother. Tighter even than blood. The Corps represents history. The Corps is actually older than our country. History, Pride, Courage, Honor, Loyalty, Faithfulness, Sacrifice, these are the things that define a Marine. The Corps will exist as long as our country does. I could go on forever. Have I answered your question? Semper Fi!
