Munitions

Drone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munition

Also known as
  • drone-dropped RPG munition
  • modified RPG munition
  • drone-delivered RPG round
  • drone-dropped RPG-7 munition
  • modified RPG-7 drone bomb

Drone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munitions are field-adapted explosive payloads that convert RPG-family projectiles or similar shaped-charge warheads into aerial drop weapons for commercial UAVs. Open-source conflict reporting documents PKK Matrice 600-family carriage of PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles in 2021 and Hamas-led use of modified RPG-derived munitions from commercial drones during the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.

Drone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munition, Improvised drone-dropped RPG-derived shaped-charge munition, Munitions
Image source: Wikimedia Commons RPG-7 detached warhead

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Field-adapted by non-state armed groups in the Gaza Strip and PKK operating areas
Type
Improvised drone-dropped RPG-derived shaped-charge munition
Service note
Documented in improvised UAV munition use by non-state armed groups in the early 2020s
Designer
Field-modified by armed groups; exact workshop designs not publicly identified
Designed
Documented in PKK use by 2021 and Hamas use in 2023
Number built
Not publicly reported

Specifications

Delivery platform
Modified small commercial drone; ICCT and Euro-SD identify Matrice 600-family carriage in Hamas use, and Militant Wire documents PKK Matrice M600-family carriage.
Munition
Modified RPG-derived shaped-charge or RPG-7-family projectile rather than a standard catalogued aerial bomb.
Representative projectile examples
Militant Wire identifies PKK M600-family UAVs with PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles; ICCT describes the Hamas munition as appearing to be a modified RPG munition.
Impact behavior
ICCT describes smoke on impact and delayed detonation.
Documented use
Documented with PKK UAV drop adaptations in 2021 and with Hamas-led drone strikes during the opening 7 October 2023 attack.
Identification limits
Open sources do not establish a single factory projectile model for every Hamas or PKK drone-dropped example.
Variants

The record covers field adaptations rather than a factory model line, so rows describe documented munition-body or configuration splits.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Hamas modified RPG-derived drop munitionMatrice 600-carried shaped-charge payload

ICCT identifies Hamas footage of a DJI Matrice 600 carrying what appears to be a modified RPG munition, while Euro-SD reports Matrice 600 UAVs dropping RPG rounds on IDF surveillance towers.

Sources: ICCT Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023, Euro-SD IDF knew of Hamas battle plan

PKK PG-7VM/PG-7VL drop adaptationHEAT RPG projectile drop adaptation

Militant Wire shows a PKK DJI Matrice 600 Pro with two PG-7VM and one PG-7VL projectiles, while noting the image's location and date are unknown.

Sources: Militant Wire Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

PKK OG-7-pattern drop adaptationRPG explosive or fragmentation projectile drop adaptation

Militant Wire also shows a PKK DJI Matrice M600 with OG-7-pattern projectiles in the same UAV attack context.

Sources: Militant Wire Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

Carrier UAV

The strongest open-source carrier linkage is to Matrice 600-family commercial hexacopters adapted by Hamas and the PKK for RPG-family projectile carriage.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter, Commercial hexacopter UAV adapted for munition drops, Aircraft & UAVsDJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopterCommercial hexacopter carrier

ICCT says Hamas-released footage shows a DJI Matrice 600 carrying what appears to be a modified RPG munition during the 7 October attack, and Militant Wire documents PKK Matrice M600-family UAVs with PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles.

Sources: ICCT Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023, Militant Wire Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

Identification caveat

The cited sources support RPG-derived or RPG-family projectile carriage, but not a single common factory munition model for every documented drone-dropped example.

Sources: ICCT Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023, Militant Wire Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

What Made It Notable

The documented examples are improvised payload adaptations, not a standardized aerial bomb. The sources point to a repeated pattern: armed groups repurposed RPG-family projectiles for vertical drop from heavy-lift commercial drones.

Evidence laneSource-backed detailSourcing limit
Hamas, 7 October 2023ICCT describes a DJI Matrice 600 carrying what appears to be a modified RPG munition, and Euro-SD reports Matrice 600 UAVs dropping RPG rounds on IDF surveillance towers.The exact factory RPG model of the Hamas munition is not publicly identified in the cited sources.
PKK, 2021 weapons reviewMilitant Wire documents Matrice M600-family UAVs with PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles and says modified RPG-7 ammunition was used in UAV attacks from time to time.The pictured M600 examples' location and date are not identified.
Observed effectsICCT describes smoke on impact and delayed detonation in Hamas footage, while CTC Sentinel frames the 7 October tactic as commercial drones used as aerial munition platforms.Open-source footage analysis supports broad behavior, not standardized performance values such as drop accuracy or penetration.

Sources: ICCT Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023; Euro-SD IDF knew of Hamas battle plan; JPost How Hamas used small commercial drones in its attack; CTC Sentinel On the Horizon; Militant Wire Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021.

Timeline

Drone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munition Key Events

  1. PKK M600 RPG-projectile carriage documented

    Militant Wire's 2021 PKK weapons review documented Matrice M600-family UAVs carrying PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles, while noting that some modified RPG-7 ammunition was used in UAV attacks.

    Sources: Militant Wire Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

  2. Commercial drones used in the opening assault

    JPost and Euro-SD reported that Hamas used small drones or Matrice 600-family rotary-wing UAVs converted to carry munitions during the October 7 attack, including strikes on IDF observation posts and surveillance towers.

    Sources: JPost How Hamas used small commercial drones in its attack, Euro-SD IDF knew of Hamas battle plan

  3. ICCT identifies the Matrice 600 footage

    ICCT analysis of Hamas footage says a DJI Matrice 600 carried what appears to be a modified RPG munition and describes smoke-on-impact plus delayed detonation.

    Sources: ICCT Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023

Media

Drone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munition Images

Drone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munition, Improvised drone-dropped RPG-derived shaped-charge munition, Munitions - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS unit
Drone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munition, Improvised drone-dropped RPG-derived shaped-charge munition, Munitions - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons RPG-7 ammo
Related Weapon Systems
DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter, Commercial hexacopter UAV adapted for munition drops, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsDJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopterCommercial hexacopter UAV adapted for munition dropsThe DJI Matrice 600 is a six-rotor commercial UAV platform designed for aerial imaging, payload carriage, and industrial work, with DJI listing a 6 kg maximum payload and retractable landing gear. Conflict reporting shows the same heavy-lift commercial airframe adapted by non-state armed groups for improvised munition drops, including PKK-linked RPG-projectile carriage and Hamas use against Israeli border surveillance towers on 7 October 2023.
Drone-dropped fragmentation grenade, Improvised grenade-drop tactic using a commercial UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsDrone-dropped fragmentation grenadeImprovised grenade-drop tactic using a commercial UAVDrone-dropped fragmentation grenade is a field-adapted strike method that uses commercial quadcopters or similar small UAVs to release hand grenades or comparable fragmentation charges. Reporting from Ukraine and Gaza ties the method to improvised battlefield use by multiple sides, while a 2025 U.S. Army test with a Skydio X10D, an Audible dropper, and an M67 grenade shows the same concept moving into formal experimentation.
PG-7VM rocket-propelled grenade, RPG-7 HEAT rocket-propelled grenade round, MunitionsMunitionsPG-7VM rocket-propelled grenadeRPG-7 HEAT rocket-propelled grenade roundThe PG-7VM is an RPG-7-compatible high-explosive anti-tank round built around the smaller PG-7M-class shaped-charge grenade. VMZ Sopot and STV Group publish closely aligned data for a roughly 1.97 kg round with a 300 m direct-fire range, 500 m sighting range, and about 300 mm armor penetration; conflict evidence documents the round in PKK, Islamic State, and Iraqi insurgent stocks, usually as seized or photographed ammunition rather than a named firing incident.
PG-7VL rocket-propelled grenade, RPG-7-compatible HEAT rocket-propelled grenade round, MunitionsMunitionsPG-7VL rocket-propelled grenadeRPG-7-compatible HEAT rocket-propelled grenade roundThe PG-7VL is a Soviet-origin RPG-7-compatible high-explosive anti-tank round, also associated with the Luch designation and PG-7L grenade. Russian and Bulgarian product sources describe a 93 mm warhead, roughly 2.6 kg round weight, 300 m sighting or effective range, and about 500 mm armor penetration; conflict documentation places PG-7VL projectiles in Islamic State and PKK weapons stocks rather than tying them to a named firing incident.
Improvised drones, Improvised military drone class, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsImprovised dronesImprovised military drone classImprovised drones are locally modified or field-assembled uncrewed aerial systems built from commercial quadcopters, FPV airframes, agricultural-drone parts, and workshop-made payload fittings. The record tracks a distributed weapon class rather than one factory model: Islamic State, Ukrainian and Russian forces, Hamas, Israeli units in Gaza, and Myanmar armed actors all adapted small UAVs for reconnaissance, bomb drops, assault support, and low-cost strike roles.

Sources

ICCT Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023Publisher: International Centre for Counter-Terrorism | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: used by Hamas-led forces to drop a modified RPG munition from a DJI Matrice 600 during the 7 October 2023 attack; also supports background and specs for the drone-delivered munition. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Euro-SD IDF knew of Hamas battle planPublisher: European Security & Defence | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: says Hamas used Matrice 600 rotary-wing UAVs to drop RPG rounds on IDF surveillance towers along the Gaza border fence on 7 October 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-01JPost How Hamas used small commercial drones in its attackPublisher: The Jerusalem Post | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: used by Hamas on 7 October 2023 when small drones converted to carry munitions attacked IDF observation posts; also supports background on repackaged drone warheads. | Accessed: 2026-07-01CTC Sentinel On the HorizonPublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use by describing Hamas use of commercial drones on 7 October 2023 as aerial munition platforms, including modified RPG-7 warheads dropped on Israeli tanks, armored vehicles, infantry, and other targets. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Militant Wire Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021Publisher: Militant Wire | Note: Supports 1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict direct conflict-use: documents PKK modified RPG-7 ammunition used in attacks from time to time and Matrice M600-family UAVs carrying PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS unitPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the DJI Matrice 600 Pro drone illustration. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons RPG-7 detached warheadPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the detached RPG-7 warhead illustration. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons RPG-7 ammoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for RPG-7 ammunition gallery imagery. | Accessed: 2026-07-01