The RPO-A Shmel is a man-portable disposable rocket-assisted flamethrower, although it is classified as a rocket laucher by some in the West. 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.
Description
The RPO-A is a single-shot, self-contained tube shaped launcher that operates much like the LAWrocket launchers, a sealed tube, carried in a man-pack in pairs. The same person can remove the tube, place it in firing position, and launch the weapon without assistance. After launch, the tube is discarded. All models are externally similar. Designed to defeat concealed enemy firing positions, disable lightly armored and automotive vehicles, destroy enemy manpower. The aiming range of a flamethrower with a diopter sight is 600 meters, with an OPO optical sight - 450 m, OPO-1 - up to 850 m.
Ammunition
Each weapon contains a single rocket, of which there are three varieties. The basic rocket is the RPO-A, which has a thermobaricwarhead and is designed for attacking soft targets under moderate cover. The RPO-Z is the incendiary warhead designed to spread fire and ignite targets. There is a smoke-producing warhead offered, the RPO-D.
An updated development is the improved RPO-M "Shmel-M" that was shown for the first time at Eurosatory 2006. This version is similar to the original weapon, but has a calibre of 90 mm, a weight of, and an overall length of 940 mm. The system has better ergonomics, an improved rocket, and better ballistics and terminal effects. It consists of a disposable launching tube attached to a reusable fire control unit that includes the pistol grip, electronic trigger and safety, and a folding base with an optical sight and additional rail for an infrared/night vision sight. Effective range is 300 m, maximum sighting range is 800 m, and maximum range is 1,700 m. The thermobaric warhead's blast effect is equivalent to of TNT, comparable to a 155 mm artillery shell. The "Shmel-M" is also known as RPO PDM-A and is produced for the local and export markets. Version with a mechanical sight adopted on 24 December 2003. The MRO-A is a smaller development of the RPO-series with caliber reduced to 72.5 mm, similar to the RShG-2. It is self-contained, disposable, single-shot recoilless launcher with an overall length of 900 mm, weight of, and has a folding forward grip. The sights are RPO-based, with a fixed front and folding ladder-type diopter rear, giving an effective range of 90 m and maximum range of 450 m. The MRO-series includes different versions, again based on RPO versions: MRO-A thermobaric; MRO-D white phosphorus smoke; and MRO-Z incendiary. It was adopted by the Russian Army around 2002 and issued to chemical troops to supplement the larger RPO-A. MGK Bur is a 62 mm version of the RPO-M consisting of two major components: the disposable launch tube and reusable fire control unit. Described as "the most compact grenade launcher in the world," the weapon has an overall length of 742 mm and weighs. Loaded tubes weigh and can fire thermobaric or fragmentation warheads. The fire control unit is the same one used on the RPO-M, weighing and enabling ranges of 25–650 m with the baseline day sight; night and thermal systems are also available. Maximum range is 950 meters, with a firing mechanism service life of at least 500 rounds. It can be fired in confined spaces with a volume of at least 30 cubic meters. As of October 2014, it has been accepted into service and serial production has been started.
