The RPG-18 Mukha is a Soviet disposable, shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher built around a telescoping launch tube and a 64 mm PG-18 HEAT rocket. It gave infantry a light short-range anti-armor weapon before later RPG-22 and RPG-26 successors, and conflict sources document the type from Afghanistan and Grozny to Ukrainian use as a carried launcher and improvised FPV-drone payload.
Forecast International's RPG family profile says the RPG-18 was initially employed in Afghanistan in 1984, documenting Soviet-side battlefield fielding of the disposable launcher during the war.
A Foreign Military Studies Office article on Chechen anti-armor tactics in Grozny describes Chechen hunter-killer cells armed with RPG-7 or RPG-18 launchers during the 1994-1995 urban fighting.
Ukrainian forces used RPG-18 launchers during the full-scale war, including a reported June 2022 strike on a Russian BMP-2; Greek and defense reporting also list 815 RPG-18 anti-tank launchers among early 2022 aid from Greece, and later reporting documented Ukrainian FPV-drone adaptation tests.
Role detailsConflict Armament Research documented two RPG-18-type 64 mm rocket launchers recovered from Islamic State forces in Iraq in its 2014-2017 weapons dataset.
RPG-18 is useful to read as a compact disposable system rather than only as a grenade-launcher designation. The launcher, rocket, and sighting arrangement were built around one-shot infantry use at short range.
| Feature | What it means for use | Source labels |
|---|---|---|
| Telescoping tube | The launcher is carried collapsed and extended before firing, giving a compact transport length while still providing a full launch tube. | RPG-18 light anti-armour weapon; Current Opposing Forces Antiarmor Weapons |
| 64 mm PG-18 rocket | The single HEAT rocket gives infantry a light anti-armor option, but range and penetration are limited compared with later larger-caliber disposable launchers. | RPG-18 light anti-armour weapon; RPG-18 Mukha Russian Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher |
| Backblast and self-destruct limits | Training material emphasizes short-range employment, danger behind the launcher, and a projectile self-destruct interval after launch. | Current Opposing Forces Antiarmor Weapons |
| Family successors | Forecast International treats RPG-22, RPG-26, and RPG-27 as later disposable-launcher successors rather than RPG-18 subvariants. | RPG-18/RPG-22/RPG-26/RPG-27 |
The RPG-18 itself was the 64 mm Mukha model; later Soviet/Russian disposable launchers are better treated as family successors rather than subvariants of the same launcher.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Larger 72.5 mm successor | Forecast International describes the RPG-22 as an improved version of the RPG-18. Sources: RPG-18/RPG-22/RPG-26/RPG-27 |
 | Simplified 72.5 mm successor | The same RPG family profile places the RPG-26 after the RPG-22 in the disposable-launcher lineage. Sources: RPG-18/RPG-22/RPG-26/RPG-27 |
 | Heavier tandem-HEAT family member | The RPG-27 is a later, larger-caliber disposable launcher in the same Soviet/Russian family covered by the Forecast profile. Sources: RPG-18/RPG-22/RPG-26/RPG-27 |
Open reference sources place RPG-18 service entry in the mid-1970s after early-1970s development of the disposable Mukha launcher.
Sources: RPG-18/RPG-22/RPG-26/RPG-27, RPG-18 light anti-armour weapon
Forecast International reports the RPG-18 was initially employed in Afghanistan in 1984 during the Soviet-Afghan War.
Sources: RPG-18/RPG-22/RPG-26/RPG-27
A Foreign Military Studies Office article on Grozny combat describes Chechen anti-armor cells armed with RPG-7 or RPG-18 launchers during the First Chechen War.
Sources: Infantry's Armor Antitank Weapons in Chechnya
Greek reporting listed 815 RPG-18 anti-tank weapons among early Greek military aid to Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion.
Sources: Greek Role within NATO is Upgraded
Army Recognition reported Ukrainian adaptation of RPG-18 launchers as FPV-drone payloads during the Russia-Ukraine War.
Sources: Ukraine Adapts RPG-18 Rocket Launchers to FPV Drones in Ongoing Conflict with Russia
