Ukraine developed a new thermobaric weapon
Ukroboronprom State Enterprise has developed a new thermobaric weapon, the infantry flamethrower RPO-16, which was developed by the research institute, Chemical Products, as well as RGO-27S and RGT-27S2 grenades developed by Artem State Enterprise, as indicated in a statement released by the press service of Ukroboronprom.
The new thermobaric weapons were presented at the Honcharovskyi training ground of the Armed Forces of Ukraine before the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, who personally evaluated the products of the Ukroboronprom State Enterprise.
"The effectiveness of the Ukrainian enhanced blast weapons was tested at the training ground. There are, practically, no such weapons at the front line today. The RPO-16 hand-held rocket flamethrower proved to be very good," Turchynov said.
One of the types of thermobaric weapons is the RPO-16, a reactive infantry grenade launcher, which is armed with a reactive grenade with a special thermobaric mixture. This is a portable weapon, which is able to destroy an enemy, even when shielded by a strong cover. Its high explosive action the RPO-16 93mm caliber grenade is equivalent to a large-caliber artillery shell.
The RGO-27S and RGT-27S2 grenades developed by Artem State Enterprise, which is a part of Ukroboronprom, were also demonstrated at the testing ground. These grenades, weighing no more than 600 grams, create a two second fire cloud with a volume of not less than 13 m³, inside of which the temperature reaches 2,500 degrees. This temperature allows not only for the destruction of the enemy, but are also able to disable lightly armored vehicles.
"Very few countries in the world have the technology to create thermobaric ammunition. These are the first weapons of this type developed in Ukraine, and they came about thanks to the fact that Ukroboronprom invests in science and people, and the development of its competencies," Volodymyr Korobov, Deputy Director General for Aircraft Industry and Operations said.