Explosively formed penetrator improvised explosive device

Conflict Usage

Israel-Hamas War

Side: HamasRole: Anti-armor ambushanti-tankstrike

Used by Hamas in the Israel-Hamas War; IDF seizures in Gaza showed Shawaz cone- and disk-shaped EFPs, and reporting said the devices were used against armored fighting vehicles and to breach Israeli shelters and safe rooms.

Yemen Civil War

Side: Houthi-aligned forcesRole: Anti-armor roadside bombanti-tankmine warfare

Used by Houthi-aligned forces in the Yemen Civil War as an anti-armor roadside bomb; reporting on CAR findings said Yemen-disguised roadside bombs included explosively formed projectile varieties.

Explosively formed penetrator improvised explosive device Images

Related Weapon Systems

Infantry WeaponsBuilding booby-trap improvised explosive deviceImprovised explosive deviceBuilding booby-trap improvised explosive devices in the Israel-Hamas War were improvised, victim-activated traps hidden in homes and other structures to slow clearing forces and threaten troops moving through doors, stairwells, rooms, and rubble in Gaza.

Infantry WeaponsMagnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bombImprovised explosive deviceMagnetic or sticky anti-vehicle bombs are improvised explosive devices that are manually attached to armored vehicles so the blast lands at close range. In the Israel-Hamas War, reporting from Khan Younis described Hamas using a sticky bomb against an Israeli tank, showing how the device fits urban anti-armor ambushes in Gaza.

Infantry WeaponsRadio-controlled improvised explosive deviceImprovised explosive deviceRadio-controlled improvised explosive devices are improvised bombs detonated by a radio-frequency command link rather than by victim contact. In the Yemen Civil War, Conflict Armament Research documented Houthi-used RCIEDs and described domestically produced devices recovered on Yemen's west coast, placing the system within the conflict's roadside-bomb threat.

Infantry WeaponsTC/6 anti-tank mineAnti-tank blast mineThe TC/6 is an Italian plastic-cased, pressure-activated minimum-metal anti-tank blast mine. In the Israel-Hamas War, AP reported that weapons recovered from Hamas fighters by the Israel Defense Forces appeared to include TC/6 mines, making the design visible in Gaza conflict reporting even though open-source identification cannot rule out Iranian copies.

Infantry Weapons9M133 KornetLaser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9M133 Kornet is a Russian heavy anti-tank guided missile system using laser beam-riding guidance and tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads. Developed by KBP as a portable and vehicle-integrated ATGM family, it appears in recent conflicts as a Russian-origin anti-armor weapon documented with state forces and non-state armed groups, including captured examples in Ukrainian service.

Infantry WeaponsRPG-7Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-7 is a Soviet-origin reusable shoulder-fired rocket launcher built around a simple 40 mm launch tube and a wide family of over-caliber anti-armor, fragmentation, and thermobaric rounds. Its low cost, portability, and large global stock make it a common infantry anti-armor and assault weapon, including in Ukrainian service during the Russia-Ukraine War and Hamas use during the Israel-Hamas War.

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