Ukrainian Armed Forces demonstrate combat use of Ukrainian-made RPV-16 flamethrower
Soldiers of the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade told Rada journalists about the peculiarities of using RPV-16 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, which allow firing thermobaric ammunition. A fragment of the conversation was published on Facebook.
According to the flamethrowers, the caliber of the RPV-16 is 93 mm. It is equivalent to 155 mm weapons. It is impossible to escape from a thermobaric munition. The burning temperature at the point of impact can reach 3,000 degrees.
The brigade’s soldiers call their flamethrowers “small artillery.” The RPV-16 causes significant damage. Ukrainian flamethrowers are mostly used to clear enemy fortifications. Each warrior takes two flamethrowers with him on a mission. This is because the RPV-16 is a one-time use device. After the shot, the tube is thrown away.
RPV-16 was presented in 2017. The first samples of flamethrowers entered service with the Armed Forces in the fall of 2018. The range is 1,000 meters. The battery weighs 4 kg. The RPV-16 is most effective at hitting targets at a distance of 300 meters. After hitting the target, the warhead is detonated, followed by an aerosol spray. The diameter of the cloud can reach 8 meters. At its peak, the burning temperature of the aerosol is 3,000 degrees.
