SPG-9 | |
---|---|
Type |
Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun |
Place of origin | Soviet Union |
Service history | |
In service | 1962–present |
Wars |
Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Salvadoran Civil War Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Gulf War Lebanese Civil War Iraq War Second Sudanese Civil War [1] Third Sudanese Civil War Libyan Civil Wars [2] Northern Mali conflict Syrian Civil War [3] War in Donbass Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) [4] [5] Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen 2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes Russo-Ukraine War |
Specifications | |
Mass | 47.5 kg (105 lb) 59.5 kg (131 lb) with tripod [6] |
Length | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) [6] |
Width | 99 cm (3 ft 3 in) allowing full traverse [6] |
Height | 80 cm (2 ft 7 in) [6] |
Crew | 2 (1 gunner, 1 loader) |
Caliber | 73 mm (2.9 in) smoothbore [6] |
Breech | Interrupted screw [6] |
Recoil | None |
Carriage | Tripod |
Elevation | +7°/−3° |
Traverse | 30° total |
Rate of fire | 5–6 rounds per minute [6] |
Muzzle velocity | 250–435 m/s (820–1,430 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 800 m (870 yd) |
Maximum firing range | 1,200–6,500 m (1,300–7,100 yd) |
Feed system | Manually breech-loaded |
Sights | PGO-9 optical 4× sight or PGN-9 IR and passive night sight |
The SPG-9 Kopyo ( Russian: СПГ-9 Копьё, transliterated Russian: Stankovyi Protivotankovyi Granatomet "Kopyo" - Heavy Antitank Grenade Launcher "Spear") is a tripod-mounted man-portable, 73 millimetre calibre recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union. It fires fin-stabilised, rocket-assisted high explosive (HE) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge projectiles similar to those fired by the 73 mm 2A28 Grom low pressure gun of the BMP-1 armored vehicle. It was accepted into service in 1962, replacing the B-10 recoilless rifle.
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (May 2014) |
The projectile is launched from the gun by a small charge, which gives it an initial velocity of between 250–400 metres per second (820–1,310 ft/s). The launch charge also imparts spin to the projectile by a series of offset holes. Once the projectile has traveled approximately 20 metres (66 ft) from the launcher, a rocket motor in its base ignites. For the PG-9 projectile, this takes it to a velocity of 700 metres per second (2,300 ft/s) before the motor burns out.
The SPG-9 is heavy, ~60 kilograms (130 lb), and normally transported by vehicle, and carried into position by its two crew. It can be deployed in about a minute. The weapon is in service with a large number of armed forces, and a variety of ammunition is produced; however, they are mostly copies of the original Soviet PG-9 HEAT and OG-9 fragmentation (FRAG) high explosive (FRAG-HE) rounds.
The SPG-9 is widely available to terrorists and maritime pirates such as in the Horn of Africa region, and in other regions to a lesser degree. It is not as popular as the RPG-7 because it must be mounted on a vehicle or boat and cannot be easily carried and shoulder fired. The SPG-9 requires much more skill to fire accurately than the RPG-7. There have been reports of these mounted in skiffs and larger "mother ships". The SPG-9 can typically be found mounted on a wide variety of vehicles known as " technicals" in Somalia.
A variant for use with airborne troops including detachable wheels was built as the SPG-9D.
The SPG-9 was used by both sides during the Transnistria War. [7]
In addition to using the SPG-9 as light indirect fire artillery, members of Wagner PMC modified SPG-9 ammunition to be fired from more portable RPG-7 launchers during the Battle of Bakhmut. [8]
In mid October 2023 Israeli forces, during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, captured a flyer produced by Hamas about destroying Merkava tanks. The flyer recommended the SPG-9 as an effective way of defeating the Israeli Trophy System designed to intercept incoming RPG or Anti-tank Guided Missiles. The SPG-9 was recommended due "simply by virtue of its projectile’s high speed". [9]
Round (projectile) |
Type | Weight (kg) |
Fuze | Length (mm) |
Explosive content (kg) |
Muzzle velocity (m/s) |
Effective range (m) |
Maximum range (m) |
Armour penetration (mm) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PG-9 (PG-9V) |
HEAT-FS | 4.39 | VP-9 | 920 | 0.322 ( hexogen) |
435 | 800 | 1,300 | 300 | — |
PG-9N | HEAT-FS | VP-9 | 920 | 0.340 ( OKFOL-3.5) [10] |
435 | 800 | 1,300 | 400 | — | |
PG-9VS | HEAT-FS | 4.4 | ? | 920 | ? | 1,300 | ? | 400 | - | |
PG-9VNT (PG-9NT) |
HEAT-FS | 3.2 | ? | 920 | ? | 400 | 700 | 1,200 | 600 or 450 behind ERA |
Tandem-charge |
OG-9V (OG-9) |
FRAG- HE | 5.35 | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 | 0.735 (TNT) |
316 | – | – | n/a | Cast iron casing |
OG-9VM (OG-9M) |
FRAG-HE | 5.35 | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 | 0.655 (TD-50) [11] |
316 | – | – | n/a | — |
OG-9VM1 (OG-9V) |
FRAG-HE | 5.35 | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 | ? | 316 | – | 4,500 | n/a | — |
OG-9BG
[12] (OG-9G) |
FRAG-HE | 6.9 | O-4M | 1030 | 0.750 | 316 | – | 7,500 | n/a | Bulgarian made |
OG-9BG1 (OG-9G1) |
FRAG-HE | 5.48 | O-4M | 1024 | 0.750 | 250 | – | 4,200 | n/a | Bulgarian made |
SPG-9 | |
---|---|
Type |
Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun |
Place of origin | Soviet Union |
Service history | |
In service | 1962–present |
Wars |
Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Salvadoran Civil War Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Gulf War Lebanese Civil War Iraq War Second Sudanese Civil War [1] Third Sudanese Civil War Libyan Civil Wars [2] Northern Mali conflict Syrian Civil War [3] War in Donbass Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) [4] [5] Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen 2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes Russo-Ukraine War |
Specifications | |
Mass | 47.5 kg (105 lb) 59.5 kg (131 lb) with tripod [6] |
Length | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) [6] |
Width | 99 cm (3 ft 3 in) allowing full traverse [6] |
Height | 80 cm (2 ft 7 in) [6] |
Crew | 2 (1 gunner, 1 loader) |
Caliber | 73 mm (2.9 in) smoothbore [6] |
Breech | Interrupted screw [6] |
Recoil | None |
Carriage | Tripod |
Elevation | +7°/−3° |
Traverse | 30° total |
Rate of fire | 5–6 rounds per minute [6] |
Muzzle velocity | 250–435 m/s (820–1,430 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 800 m (870 yd) |
Maximum firing range | 1,200–6,500 m (1,300–7,100 yd) |
Feed system | Manually breech-loaded |
Sights | PGO-9 optical 4× sight or PGN-9 IR and passive night sight |
The SPG-9 Kopyo ( Russian: СПГ-9 Копьё, transliterated Russian: Stankovyi Protivotankovyi Granatomet "Kopyo" - Heavy Antitank Grenade Launcher "Spear") is a tripod-mounted man-portable, 73 millimetre calibre recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union. It fires fin-stabilised, rocket-assisted high explosive (HE) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge projectiles similar to those fired by the 73 mm 2A28 Grom low pressure gun of the BMP-1 armored vehicle. It was accepted into service in 1962, replacing the B-10 recoilless rifle.
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (May 2014) |
The projectile is launched from the gun by a small charge, which gives it an initial velocity of between 250–400 metres per second (820–1,310 ft/s). The launch charge also imparts spin to the projectile by a series of offset holes. Once the projectile has traveled approximately 20 metres (66 ft) from the launcher, a rocket motor in its base ignites. For the PG-9 projectile, this takes it to a velocity of 700 metres per second (2,300 ft/s) before the motor burns out.
The SPG-9 is heavy, ~60 kilograms (130 lb), and normally transported by vehicle, and carried into position by its two crew. It can be deployed in about a minute. The weapon is in service with a large number of armed forces, and a variety of ammunition is produced; however, they are mostly copies of the original Soviet PG-9 HEAT and OG-9 fragmentation (FRAG) high explosive (FRAG-HE) rounds.
The SPG-9 is widely available to terrorists and maritime pirates such as in the Horn of Africa region, and in other regions to a lesser degree. It is not as popular as the RPG-7 because it must be mounted on a vehicle or boat and cannot be easily carried and shoulder fired. The SPG-9 requires much more skill to fire accurately than the RPG-7. There have been reports of these mounted in skiffs and larger "mother ships". The SPG-9 can typically be found mounted on a wide variety of vehicles known as " technicals" in Somalia.
A variant for use with airborne troops including detachable wheels was built as the SPG-9D.
The SPG-9 was used by both sides during the Transnistria War. [7]
In addition to using the SPG-9 as light indirect fire artillery, members of Wagner PMC modified SPG-9 ammunition to be fired from more portable RPG-7 launchers during the Battle of Bakhmut. [8]
In mid October 2023 Israeli forces, during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, captured a flyer produced by Hamas about destroying Merkava tanks. The flyer recommended the SPG-9 as an effective way of defeating the Israeli Trophy System designed to intercept incoming RPG or Anti-tank Guided Missiles. The SPG-9 was recommended due "simply by virtue of its projectile’s high speed". [9]
Round (projectile) |
Type | Weight (kg) |
Fuze | Length (mm) |
Explosive content (kg) |
Muzzle velocity (m/s) |
Effective range (m) |
Maximum range (m) |
Armour penetration (mm) |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PG-9 (PG-9V) |
HEAT-FS | 4.39 | VP-9 | 920 | 0.322 ( hexogen) |
435 | 800 | 1,300 | 300 | — |
PG-9N | HEAT-FS | VP-9 | 920 | 0.340 ( OKFOL-3.5) [10] |
435 | 800 | 1,300 | 400 | — | |
PG-9VS | HEAT-FS | 4.4 | ? | 920 | ? | 1,300 | ? | 400 | - | |
PG-9VNT (PG-9NT) |
HEAT-FS | 3.2 | ? | 920 | ? | 400 | 700 | 1,200 | 600 or 450 behind ERA |
Tandem-charge |
OG-9V (OG-9) |
FRAG- HE | 5.35 | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 | 0.735 (TNT) |
316 | – | – | n/a | Cast iron casing |
OG-9VM (OG-9M) |
FRAG-HE | 5.35 | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 | 0.655 (TD-50) [11] |
316 | – | – | n/a | — |
OG-9VM1 (OG-9V) |
FRAG-HE | 5.35 | GO-2 or O-4M |
1062 | ? | 316 | – | 4,500 | n/a | — |
OG-9BG
[12] (OG-9G) |
FRAG-HE | 6.9 | O-4M | 1030 | 0.750 | 316 | – | 7,500 | n/a | Bulgarian made |
OG-9BG1 (OG-9G1) |
FRAG-HE | 5.48 | O-4M | 1024 | 0.750 | 250 | – | 4,200 | n/a | Bulgarian made |