RPO-A Shmel
| RPO-A Shmel | |
|---|---|
RPO-Shmel and Launcher | |
| Type | Missile launcher |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1986–present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | Soviet–Afghan War War in Afghanistan First Chechen War Second Chechen War Kivu conflict Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Russo-Ukrainian War Gaza war |
| Production history | |
| Designer | KBP |
| Designed | 1984 |
| Manufacturer | KBP |
| Produced | Late 1980s |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11 kg (24 lb) |
| Length | Launcher: 920 mm Rocket: 700mm |
| Caliber | 93 mm |
| Muzzle velocity | 125 ±5 m/s |
| Effective firing range | 20 m – 1000 m (sighting range is 600 m) RPO-M is 1700 m (sighting range is 800 m) |
| Sights | iron |
| References | |
The RPO-A Shmel (Russian: реактивный пехотный огнемёт РПО-А «Шмель», lit. 'rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower "Bumblebee"') is a man-portable, single-use, rocket-assisted thermobaric weapon. While its name directly translates to flamethrower (and it is classified as such in Russian military documents), the RPO-A Shmel is more accurately described as a thermobaric weapon. The Shmel is designed, produced and exported by the Russian Federation and previously by the Soviet Union. It entered service with the Soviet Armed Forces at the end of the 1980s as the successor for the RPO Rys.