Wiktionary
alt. 1 A modern hand-held weapons system, comprising a launcher that fires a small explosive rocket. 2 the explosive rocket weapon component of such a system n. 1 A modern hand-held weapons system, comprising a launcher that fires a small explosive rocket. 2 the explosive rocket weapon component of such a system
Wikipedia
A rocket-propelled grenade (often abbreviated RPG) is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system that fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable, while others are single-use. RPGs, with some exceptions, are generally loaded from the muzzle.
RPGs with high explosive anti-tank warheads (HEAT) are very effective against armored vehicles such as armoured personnel carriers (APCs). However, heavily armored vehicles, such as main battle tanks, are generally too well armored to be penetrated by an RPG, unless weaker sections of the armor are exploited. Various warheads are also capable of causing secondary damage to vulnerable systems (especially sights, tracks, rear and roof of turrets) and other soft targets.
The term "rocket-propelled grenade" is strictly a backronym; it stems from the Russian language РПГ or ручной противотанковый гранатомёт ( transliterated as "ruchnoy protivotankovy granatomyot"), meaning "hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher", the name given to early Russian designs.
RPGs were used extensively during the Vietnam War (by the Vietnam People's Army and Vietcong), Soviet invasion of Afghanistan by the Mujahideen and against South Africans in Angola and Namibia (formerly South West Africa) by SWAPO guerillas during what the South Africans called the South African Border War. In the 2000s, they were still being used widely in conflict areas such as Chechnya, Iraq, and Sri Lanka. Militants have also used RPGs against helicopters: Taliban fighters shot down U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters in June 2005 and August 2011; and Somali militiamen shot down two U.S. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993.
Usage examples of "rocket-propelled grenade".
Goose recognized the weapon immediately as a Soviet RPG-7, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher specially made for taking out tanks and personnel.
Another enemy squad fired a rocket-propelled grenade from the parking lot up toward the roof, but the round fell short by about 15 feet, smashing into the side of the structure with a great burst of fiery smoke and plaster.
He was also armed with what looked to Muss to be a rocket-propelled grenade launcher .
Two machine guns, a flame thrower, grenades, rifles, a rocket-propelled grenade.
He braced himself against a tree, shouldered a rocket-propelled grenade launcher--a Soviet-made RPG-7-and turned briefly to make certain no one was within range of the back blast.
An RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher, an antitank weapon with enough penetration to punch right through the Shorlands steel armor and probably continue right out the other side.
He had been killed instantly by the earsplitting, flesh-searing burst of a rocket-propelled grenade.
A rocket-propelled grenade landed in front of his face and splashed filthy water into his eyes.
This one had been specially modified to protect its occupants from chemical, biological, and even low levels of nuclear weapons, and the walls had enough armor in them to withstand a forty-millimeter rocket-propelled grenade.
Landing two Chinooks about a half mile downstream, Dantini and 15 of his men slogged through a drainage stream that ran parallel to the main waterway, hauling five big rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
He covered her body with his own as the rocket-propelled grenade came whistling through the gates.
From a darkened window across the street, a rocket-propelled grenade streaked across the top of the crowd, through the wrought-iron gates and into the open door of the secretary's limousine.
Hunter sensed trouble just seconds before the rocket-propelled grenade landed in front of the jeep.
Now that he was looking towards the floating hotel, he therefore had a perfect view of the rocket-propelled grenade that had been launched from it and was fizzing through the night sky towards him.
A rocket-propelled grenade lit the cloud like the Fourth of July, but it kept coming.