Infantry Weapons

M80 Zolja

Also known as
  • RBR M80
  • RBR M80 Zolja
  • 64 mm RBR M80
  • M-80 Zolja
  • Zolja

The M80 Zolja is a Yugoslav-origin, single-shot 64 mm shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher built around a disposable tube and HEAT rocket. Official Serbian export material presents the RBR M80 as a light infantry weapon for close-range engagements against armored vehicles and fortified positions, while conflict reporting documents Zolja-type weapons in the 2001 Insurgency in Macedonia, Boko Haram materiel evidence, and North Macedonian transfers to Ukraine.

M80 Zolja, Disposable 64 mm anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons
Image source: M-80 Zolja.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2001 Insurgency in Macedonia
Role in conflict
Ambush and close-range anti-armor weapon

A contemporary AIMPRESS report on the April 2001 Vejce ambush said Albanian attackers fired Zolja-type weapons alongside automatic fire at a Macedonian army and police patrol; ICTY reporting on Ljuboten also documented Zolja use evidence during the same conflict.

2009 Boko Haram Insurgency
Role in conflict
Insurgent shoulder-fired anti-armor rocket

A 2021 lethal-materiel study lists the M80 Zolja among selected materiel in service with, or recovered from, Boko Haram, placing the disposable rocket launcher on the insurgent side of the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency evidence base.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Yugoslavia; current Serbian and North Macedonian production/export context
Type
Disposable 64 mm anti-tank rocket launcher
Service note
Entered service around 1980; documented in post-Yugoslav conflicts and later military-aid and insurgent materiel reporting
Designer
Military Technical Institute Belgrade
Designed
1970s
Produced
1980s-present
Number built
Produced in quantity

Specifications

Crew
1
Caliber
64 mm
Warhead
Single HEAT shaped-charge warhead with piezoelectric fuze
Weight
About 3 kg loaded
Length
860 mm carried; 1,200 mm in firing configuration
Effective range
About 200-220 m
Maximum range
1,280 m
Penetration
At least 300 mm rolled homogeneous armor
Muzzle velocity
About 187-190 m/s
Sights
Flip-up mechanical sights
Launcher And Rocket Layout

Catalog sources describe the RBR M80 as a compact disposable infantry launcher: a telescoping tube carried closed, opened before firing, and paired with a 64 mm HEAT rocket for short-range anti-armor work.

FeatureCataloged detailWhy it matters
Launch tubeCarried at 860 mm and extended to about 1,200 mm for firing.The collapsed tube keeps the weapon portable for one operator while preserving a longer launch configuration.
Warhead64 mm HEAT shaped-charge rocket with piezoelectric fuze.The munition is optimized for armor penetration and point targets rather than area fire.
Range bandAbout 200-220 m effective range in official and reference specifications.The Zolja is a close-range infantry weapon, not a standoff guided anti-tank missile.
Timeline

M80 Zolja Key Events

  1. Yugoslav development

    Reference sources attribute the launcher design to Yugoslavia's Military Technical Institute Belgrade during the 1970s.

  2. Service introduction

    WeaponSystems.net places the RBR M80's service entry around 1980, before later Serbian export catalog listings kept the launcher available.

  3. Vejce ambush reporting

    AIMPRESS reported Zolja-type weapons among the arms used by Albanian attackers against a Macedonian army and police patrol near Vejce.

  4. Boko Haram materiel evidence

    An IPIS lethal-materiel study listed the M80 Zolja among selected materiel in service with, or recovered from, Boko Haram.

  5. North Macedonian transfers to Ukraine documented

    Oryx listed M80 Zolja launchers among North Macedonian military aid delivered to Ukraine during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Media

M80 Zolja Images

M80 Zolja, Disposable 64 mm anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: M80 Zolja.JPG
M80 Zolja, Disposable 64 mm anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: RBR M80 Rocket Launcher.jpg
M80 Zolja, Disposable 64 mm anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 3
Source: Zolja militaryfair.jpg
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Sources

64 mm, RBR M80Publisher: Yugoimport SDPR | Note: Supports RBR M80 background and specifications including caliber, HEAT warhead, weight, range, velocity, and armor penetration. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Sloboda CataloguePublisher: Sloboda Cacak | Note: Supports manufacturer and catalog background for the RBR M80/Zolja family, including its disposable launcher role and technical characteristics. | Accessed: 2026-06-29RBR M80 ZoljaPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports design background, developer, production context, service-entry timing, and general technical characteristics. | Accessed: 2026-06-29AIMPRESS Vejce Attack ReportPublisher: AIMPRESS via ReliefWeb | Note: Supports 2001 Insurgency in Macedonia direct-use context: Albanian attackers near Vejce were reported firing Zolja-type weapons at a Macedonian patrol. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Boskoski and Tarculovski Trial JudgementPublisher: International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia | Note: Supports 2001 Insurgency in Macedonia conflict context by documenting Zolja-related evidence during the Ljuboten events; used as corroborating conflict-use context, not as the only side-attribution source. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Small Country, Great Deeds: North Macedonia's Military Aid To UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use context: M80 Zolja rocket-propelled grenade launchers are listed among North Macedonian military aid delivered to Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-29The Management of Lethal Materiel in Conflict SettingsPublisher: International Peace Information Service | Note: Supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use context: the M80 Zolja was used by or recovered from Boko Haram in the report's selected materiel list. | Accessed: 2026-06-29M-80 Zolja.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a 2015 Partner arms fair photograph licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-29M80 Zolja.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain photograph of the launcher and rocket. | Accessed: 2026-06-29RBR M80 Rocket Launcher.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a copyrighted-free-use photograph of an RBR M80 launcher. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Zolja militaryfair.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a Belgrade military fair photograph licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL. | Accessed: 2026-06-29