The RGD-5, is a post–World War II Soviet anti-personnel fragmentation grenade, designed in the early 1950s. The RGD-5 was accepted to service in 1954. It is still in service with many of Russia's former client states and has been supplied to Iraq as well as other Arab nations.
Description
The grenade is egg-shaped with no external ribbing, except for a lateral ridge where the two halves of the grenade join. It weighs. It is in length and in diameter. The surface has a few small dimples on it with a green or olive drab paint-scheme. The grenade contains a charge of TNT with an internal fragmentation liner that produces around 350 fragments and has a fatality radius of around and a wounding radius of. Typically, the RGD-5 uses the 3.2 to 4.2 second delay UZRG, UZRGM, or UZRGM-2 fuze, a universal Russian type that is also used in the RG-41, RG-42, and F1 grenades. The RGD-5 can be thrown about by the average male soldier and, when throwing, the grenade will make a loud "crack" sound as its spoon falls out activating the fuze, cooking off the grenade. This grenade is still manufactured in Russia with copies produced in Bulgaria, China and Georgia. Many millions of RGD-5s and its clones have been manufactured over the years and, although not as advanced as more modern grenades that are specifically designed to penetrate CRISAT standard body armour, the RGD-5 is still an effective and inexpensive weapon. A single RGD-5 grenade costs around $5 US, making it highly affordable during a major conflict when many grenades are sought. The RGD-5 may also be fitted with the more modern DVM-78 fuze, or variants of the UZRGM with delays of between zero and 13 seconds. It is also possible to screw an MUV booby-trap firing device into the fuze well.
The AK-47 can mount a cup-type grenade-launcher that fires standard Soviet RGD-5 hand-grenades. The soup-can shaped launcher is screwed onto the AK-47’s muzzle. It is prepared for firing by inserting a standard RGD-5 hand-grenade into the launcher, removing the safety pin, and inserting a special blank cartridge into the rifle's chamber. With the butt-stock of the rifle on the ground it can be fired. The maximum effective range is approximately.
URG-N
The URG-N is a reusable training model of the RGD-5 with a modified fuze containing a tiny explosive charge which simulates the detonation of the grenade. The body of this grenade is painted black with white markings.
On 10 May 2005, Vladimir Arutyunian, a Georgian citizen and ethnic Armenian, waited for the United States PresidentGeorge W. Bush and Georgian PresidentMikheil Saakashvili to speak in Tbilisi's central Liberty Square. When Bush began speaking, Arutyunian threw an RGD-5 hand grenade wrapped in a red plaid handkerchief toward the podium where Bush stood as he addressed the crowd. The grenade landed from the podium, near where Saakashvili, his wife Sandra E. Roelofs, Laura Bush, and other officials were seated. The grenade failed to detonate. Although original reports indicated that the grenade was not live, it was later revealed that it was. After Arutyunian pulled the pin and threw the grenade, it hit a girl, cushioning its impact. The red handkerchief remained wrapped around the grenade, and it prevented the striker lever from releasing. A Georgian security officer quickly removed the grenade, and Arutyunian disappeared.
