2003 Iraq War

PG-7VM rocket-propelled grenade in the 2003 Iraq War

PG-7VM HEAT grenades were documented in Iraqi insurgent materiel acquired by U.S. Marines after an Al Kharma police-station attack in Al Anbar Province during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Weapon profilePG-7VM rocket-propelled grenade
SideIraqi insurgent and militia forcesRoleCaptured, Seized & RecoveredInsurgent / Guerrilla UseAnti-Armor
PG-7VM rocket-propelled grenade, RPG-7 HEAT rocket-propelled grenade round, Munitions - 2003 Iraq War
Image source: RPG-7 ammo.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
PG-7VM HEAT grenades were documented among RPG weapons acquired from insurgents after an Al Kharma police-station attack during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sources: NARA Al Kharma RPG Cache, NARA Al Kharma Weapons Display

The cited direct-use record supports recovered insurgent materiel and does not independently document a photographed launch or impact by a PG-7VM round.

Sources: NARA Al Kharma RPG Cache

The PG-7VM round is RPG-7V ammunition intended for anti-armor and shelter/personnel targets, supporting the role classification but not adding a separate Iraq-use claim.

Sources: VMZ PG-7VM Round

Timeline

PG-7VM rocket-propelled grenade In 2003 Iraq War

  1. PG-7VM grenades documented in Al Kharma insurgent materiel

    A released U.S. military photographic record places PG-7VM HEAT grenades among RPG weapons acquired by U.S. Marines from insurgents after an Al Kharma police-station attack during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    Sources: NARA Al Kharma RPG Cache

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The PG-7VM is directly documented in the 2003 Iraq War through a released U.S. military photographic record. The NARA/DVIDS metadata mirrored by GetArchive describes RPG weapons acquired by U.S. Marine Corps Marines from insurgents who attacked the police station in Al Kharma, Iraq, during Security and Stabilization Operations in Al Anbar Province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The same caption identifies the recovered materiel as including an RPG-7 launcher, a PG-7VM HEAT grenade, two Soviet PG-7G HEAT-T grenades, a Chinese 75 mm Type 69 grenade, a second PG-7VM HEAT grenade, and small arms. The record supports insurgent possession and recovered conflict materiel; it does not by itself identify a photographed PG-7VM firing.

Sources: NARA Al Kharma RPG Cache, NARA Al Kharma Weapons Display

Timeline

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, B Company were associated in the finding-aid metadata with the Al Shahabi, Al Anbar photographic record. The image caption ties the PG-7VM grenades to insurgents who attacked a police station in Al Kharma and to subsequent U.S. Marine acquisition of the weapons.

The cited public finding-aid text gives the place, unit context, and Operation Iraqi Freedom setting, but it does not expose an exact calendar day for the photograph. The timeline therefore treats the event as documented within the 2003-2011 Iraq War period rather than assigning a narrower unsupported date.

Sources: NARA Al Kharma RPG Cache

Operational role

In this conflict record, the PG-7VM appears as insurgent RPG-7 ammunition recovered after an attack, not as a coalition-issued munition. Its documented role is therefore best described as insurgent anti-armor RPG ammunition and captured or seized conflict materiel.

Producer data from VMZ Sopot describes the PG-7VM round with a PG-7M anti-tank grenade as RPG-7V ammunition intended for use against armored vehicles, mechanized troops, and personnel in field or urban shelters. That technical role explains why the recovered PG-7VM grenades are classified here under anti-armor and insurgent/guerrilla use, while the conflict-specific claim remains tied to the Al Kharma photographic record.

Sources: NARA Al Kharma RPG Cache, VMZ PG-7VM Round

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Sources