Afghan National Army soldiers fire SPG-9 recoilless rifles during a weapons demonstration, Sept. 2, at the Camp Scenic weapons range near the Darulaman Infantry School in Kabul, Afghanistan. The ANA soldiers coordinated with other infantry elements to provide direct and indirect fire support against a complex attack. Photo by Capt. Anthony Deiss.
The SPG-9 is a Russian-built 73mm gun.
Closer look at one below:
A Mongolian Mobile Training Team member reviews some of the features of the SPG-9 recoilless rifle, an anti-tank rocket system, with Afghan National Army soldiers prior to a live-fire weapons demonstration, Sept. 2, at the Camp Scenic weapons range near the Darulaman Infantry School in Kabul, Afghanistan. The MTT specialize in SPG-9 recoilless rifle systems and train ANA soldiers at the infantry school. Photo by Capt. Anthony Deiss.
3 Responses to “Mongolian SPG-9 Recoilless Rifles”
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Technically I think recoilless riflss are artillery rather than rocket launchers.
In reality they’re sort of in-between. Like artillery they fire shells but like a rocket some of the exhaust gas is vented out the back. Just enough to counteract the recoil, in fact. The gas comes out of holes in the perforated shell casing.
It’s really quite a neat system.
Gunny Hartman gets a familiarization session with the SPG-9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc9-MkCxq5c
The most interesting thing about the SPG-9 is not the weapon itself, but it’s ammo. Or more precisely, another weapon that fires it — the 73mm 2A28 “Grom” Smoothbore Gun, used on the BMP-1, BMD-1, and BRM-1;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2A28_Grom