SPG-9

SPG-9
A Russian SPG-9M
Type Recoilless gun
Anti-tank gun
Place of origin Soviet Union
Service history
In service 1962–present
Wars Vietnam War
Iran–Iraq War
Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
Gulf War
Lebanese Civil War
Iraq War
Northern Mali conflict
Syrian Civil War
War in Donbass
Iraq Civil War (2014–present)
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)[1][2]
Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015-present)
Conflict in Najran, Jizan and Asir
Specifications
Weight 47.5 kg (105 lb)
59.5 kg (131 lb)
with the tripod[3]
Length 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)[3]
Width 99 cm (3 ft 3 in)
allowing for full weapon traverse[3]
Height 80 cm (2 ft 7 in)[3]
Crew 2 (1 gunner, 1 loader)
Caliber 73 mm (2.87 in) smoothbore[3]
Breech Interrupted screw[3]
Recoil None
Carriage Tripod
Elevation +7°/−3°
Traverse 30° total
Rate of fire 5–6 rounds per minute[3]
Muzzle velocity 250 to 435 m/s
(800 to 1,427 ft/s)
Effective firing range 800 m (875 yds)
Maximum firing range 1,200 m to 6,500 m
(1,300 to 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 Kopye (Spear) is a tripod-mounted man-portable, 73 millimetre calibre recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union. It fires fin-stabilised, rocket-assisted HE and HEAT 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.

Description

The projectile is launched from the gun by a small charge, which gives it an initial velocity of between 250 and 400 metres per second. The launch charge also imparts spin to the projectile by a series of offset holes. Once the projectile has traveled approximately 20 meters (65.6 feet) 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 (2,297 feet per second) before the motor burns out.

The SPG-9 is light, and is normally transported by vehicle, and carried into position by its two crew. It can be deployed in around 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 FRAG-HE rounds.

The SPG-9 is widely available to terrorists and maritime pirates such as in the Horn of Africa region, as well as in other regions to a lesser degree. It is not as popular as the RPG-7 because it has to 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.

Combat usage

The SPG-9 was used by both sides during the Transnistria War, with at least one combat kill: a T-64BV of Russian peacekeepers was destroyed using an SPG.[4]

Projectiles

Round
(projectile)		TypeWeightFuzeLengthExplosive
content		Muzzle
velocity		Effective
range		Maximum
range		Armour
penetration		Notes
PG-9
(PG-9V)		HEAT-FS4.39 kgVP-9920 mm0.322 kg
of hexogen		435 m/s800 m1,300 m300 mm—
PG-9NHEAT-FSVP-9920 mm0.340 kg
of OKFOL-3.5[5]		435 m/s800 m1,300 m400 mm—
PG-9VSHEAT-FS4.4 kg?920 mm?1,300 m?400 mm-
PG-9VNT
(PG-9NT)		HEAT-FS3.2 kg?920 mm?400 m/s700 m1,200 m550 mm or
400 mm behind ERA		Tandem warhead
OG-9V
(OG-9)		FRAG-HE5.35 kgGO-2 or
O-4M		1062 mm0.735 kg
of TNT		316 m/s——n/aCast iron casing
OG-9VM
(OG-9M)		FRAG-HE5.35 kgGO-2 or
O-4M		1062 mm0.655 kg
of TD-50[6]		316 m/s——n/a—
OG-9VM1
(OG-9V)		FRAG-HE5.35 kgGO-2 or
O-4M		1062 mm?316 m/s—4,500 mn/a—
OG-9BG[7]
(OG-9G)		FRAG-HE6.9 kgO-4M1030 mm0.750 kg316 m/s—7,500 mn/aBulgarian made
OG-9BG1
(OG-9G1)		FRAG-HE5.48 kgO-4M1024 mm0.750 kg250 m/s—4,200 mn/aBulgarian made

Users

Romanian soldiers with an AG-9 (licensed built SPG-9) in traveling position.
A Mongolian Mobile Training Team member reviews the SPG-9 recoilless gun with Afghan National Army soldiers prior to a live-fire weapons demonstration, September 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.

Forces belonging to the Iranian Navy using SPG-9. Velayat 94 military exercise

Non-state actors

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8kYvGMUaVs
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKfs_whXnis
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 OPFOR Worldwide Equipment Guide, TRADOC DCSINT Threat Support Directorate, January 21, 1999
  4. ↑ http://otvaga2004.ru/tanki/istoriya-sozdaniya/t-64-tank-ubijca-mirnogo-naseleniya/ (in Russian)
  5. ↑ 95% HME 5% wax
  6. ↑ TNT/dinitronaphthalene
  7. ↑ http://universal-dsg.com/product/rounds-og-9vg-with-he-fragmentation-grenade-og-9g-og-9g1/
  8. ↑ Bhatia, Michael Vinai; Sedra, Mark (May 2008). Small Arms Survey, ed. Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed Groups, Disarmament and Security in a Post-War Society. Routledge. pp. 48, 66, 165. ISBN 978-0-415-45308-0.
  9. ↑ Small Arms Survey (2003). "Dangerous Supply: Small Arms and Conflict in the Republic of Georgia" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2003: Development Denied. Oxford University Press.
  10. ↑ Rottman, Gordon L. (1993). Armies of the Gulf War. Elite 45. Osprey Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 9781855322776.
  11. ↑ Powelson, Simon J. (December 2013). "Enduring engagement yes, episodic engagement no: lessons for SOF from Mali" (PDF). Monterey, California: Naval postgraduate school. p. 24. hdl:10945/38996.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  14. ↑ Rottman, Gordon L. (10 Feb 2009). North Vietnamese Army Soldier 1958–75. Warrior 135. Osprey Publishing. p. 32. ISBN 9781846033711.
  15. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK6e_rw85So
  16. ↑ HSBA Arms and Ammunition Tracing Desk. SPLA-N weapons and equipment, South Kordofan, December 2012. Small Arms Survey, 2013, p. 9.
  17. ↑ Hennessey, Patrick. The Junior Officers' Reading Club. Penguin Publications, 2009, p. 272
  18. ↑ Kemp, Colonel Richard and Hughes, Chris, Attack State RED, Penguin Books Ltd, London, 2010, pp. 325–334.
  19. ↑ Small Arms Survey (2006). "Fuelling Fear: The Lord's Resistance Army and Small Arms" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2006: Unfinished Business. Oxford University Press. p. 283. ISBN 978-0-19-929848-8.
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