Infantry Weapons

RPG-26

Also known as
  • Aglen
  • 7P27

The RPG-26 Aglen is a Soviet/Russian disposable 72.5 mm anti-tank rocket launcher developed at Soviet army request in 1980 and adopted around 1985. It uses a rigid fiberglass tube and a single PG-26 HEAT rocket, and open-source reporting has documented RPG-26 or RPG-26-family launchers in Ukraine, Syria, and Yemen while technical references tie the design to the earlier RPG-22, the larger RPG-27, and the thermobaric RShG-2.

RPG-26, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons
Image source: File:Rpg-26.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Built by
Bazalt
Built in
Russia
Type
Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
Service note
Cold War disposable launcher developed from 1980 and adopted around 1985
Designer
NPO Bazalt
Designed
1980
Produced
1985-present

Specifications

Caliber
72.5 mm
Warhead
Single PG-26 HEAT rocket
Weight
2.9 kg loaded
Length
770 mm overall
Sighting range
250 m
Armor penetration
At least 0.44 m of homogeneous armor
Fortification penetration
Up to 1 m reinforced concrete, 1.5 m brick, or 2.4 m log-and-soil cover
Design Notes

RPG-26 is usually treated as the simplified, improved successor to RPG-22. It keeps the disposable anti-armor concept but switches to a rigid non-telescoping tube, sits below the larger RPG-27 in the same development line, and became the base for the thermobaric RShG-2.

TopicWhat the sources say
Development startDevelopment began in 1980 at Soviet army request.
Launcher changeCompared with RPG-22, Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsRPG-22, the RPG-26 uses a rigid non-telescoping tube and a more powerful motor/HEAT warhead.
Family positionRPG-27 Tavolga, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsRPG-27 Tavolga follows the same disposable-launcher line with a larger 105 mm tandem-warhead design.
Later derivativeThe RPG-26 design became the base for the thermobaric RShG-2.
Sources: RPG-26 rocket-propelled antitank grenade; RPG-26 Aglen.
Variants

RPG-26 sits in the Soviet/Russian disposable launcher line between the earlier RPG-22 and the larger RPG-27, while RShG-2 reuses the RPG-26 layout for a thermobaric assault role.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
RPG-22, Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsRPG-22Predecessor disposable launcher

Modern Firearms and Weaponsystems.net describe RPG-26 as a simplified RPG-22 successor with a rigid non-telescoping tube and improved rocket/warhead package.

Sources: RPG-26 rocket-propelled antitank grenade, RPG-26 Aglen

RShG-2Thermobaric derivative

The same references identify RShG-2 as a thermobaric assault grenade derived from the RPG-26 design rather than a separate anti-tank launcher.

Sources: RPG-26 rocket-propelled antitank grenade, RPG-26 Aglen

RPG-27 Tavolga, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsRPG-27 TavolgaLarger adjacent family member

Weaponsystems.net places RPG-27 in the same disposable-launcher development line, using a larger caliber and tandem-warhead concept after RPG-26.

Sources: RPG-26 Aglen

Timeline

RPG-26 Key Events

  1. Development begins

    Modern Firearms says development of the RPG-26 was initiated on request from the Soviet army in 1980.

    Sources: RPG-26 rocket-propelled antitank grenade, RPG-26 Aglen

  2. Adopted for Soviet service

    Modern Firearms and Weaponsystems.net both place official adoption or service entry around 1985, with production continuing after that point.

    Sources: RPG-26 rocket-propelled antitank grenade, RPG-26 Aglen

  3. Documented in the Ukraine conflict

    ARES and Conflict Armament Research documented RPG-26 launchers among arms circulating in eastern Ukraine during the early phase of the Russia-Ukraine War.

    Sources: Weapons of the War in Ukraine, Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014

  4. April capture of RPG-26-family weapons in Yemen

    CSIS summarized reporting that Arab coalition aircraft accidentally air-dropped RPG-26-family weapons into Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.

    Sources: The Missile War in Yemen

  5. Pro-government militia possession in Syria

    FDD's Long War Journal documented a Liwa al-Quds fighter aligned with Syrian government forces carrying an RPG-26 during Aleppo-area fighting.

    Sources: Russian influence evident in Palestinian militia in Syria

Media

RPG-26 Videos

RPG-26 Images

RPG-26, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: File:Grenade launchers RPG-26.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
RPG-7, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry 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 documented Ukrainian service, Hamas use in Gaza, ISWAP use in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, and insurgent use in Afghanistan.
RPG-29, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG-29Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-29 Vampir is a Soviet-designed, reusable 105 mm anti-tank rocket launcher built by Bazalt for tandem HEAT and thermobaric rockets. Rosoboronexport describes it as a multiple-shot launcher with a 500 m sighting range and a 300-round lifespan, while reference sources place it in Soviet-era development and 1989 service entry. Its conflict record is strongest in close-range anti-armor and fortification attack reporting, including Hezbollah use in Lebanon, insurgent attacks on coalition armor in Iraq, Free Syrian Army imagery in Syria, Hamas anti-armor forces in Gaza, Houthi fielding in Yemen, and documented appearances in Ukraine.
RPG-32, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank and anti-structure rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG-32Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank and anti-structure rocket launcherThe RPG-32 is a Russian-designed, Jordan-assembled reusable shoulder-fired launcher marketed by JADARA as the Nashshab family. JADARA says the 105 mm launcher weighs 3 kg, rises to 12.4 kg ready to fire, and can switch between PG-32V tandem anti-tank and TBG-32V thermobaric grenades in sealed tubes. ARES reporting has documented the system with Ansar al-Sharia/AQAP fighters in Yemen and Kurdish CT Unit personnel in northern Iraq, while later open-source imagery placed the weapon in Ukrainian hands during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
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.

Sources

RPG-26Publisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Official product page supporting launcher role, HEAT warhead, caliber, weight, range, and penetration specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-30RPG-26 Aglen Russian Anti-Tank Rocket LauncherPublisher: U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command ODIN | Note: Reference entry supporting system background, Bazalt design/manufacturer context, and effective-range description. | Accessed: 2026-06-30RPG-26 rocket-propelled antitank grenadePublisher: Modern Firearms | Note: Supports the 1980 development request, around-1985 adoption, simplified non-telescoping launcher tube, improved motor and warhead, and RShG-2 lineage. | Accessed: 2026-06-30RPG-26 AglenPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports the Aglen nickname, 7P27 GRAU index, 1985 service/production context, and the relationship to RPG-22, RShG-2, and RPG-27. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Weapons of the War in UkrainePublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use context: RPG-26 launchers used by or recovered from Ukraine-linked armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk are documented in the report. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014Publisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use context: RPG-26 launchers used by or carried by armed individuals in the Ukraine conflict are documented in the report. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Russian influence evident in Palestinian militia in SyriaPublisher: FDD's Long War Journal | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct-use context: Liwa al-Quds fighters aligned with Syrian government forces fielded or wielded RPG-26 launchers in Syria. | Accessed: 2026-06-30The Missile War in YemenPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct-use context: RPG-26 variants were captured by Houthi-aligned forces after an accidental Arab coalition airdrop into Houthi-controlled territory. | Accessed: 2026-06-30File:Rpg-26.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the RPG-26 photo, listed as own work under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. | Accessed: 2026-06-30File:Grenade launchers RPG-26.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a public-domain RPG-26 museum photo; Commons marks it as Sergeev Pavel's own work and public domain. | Accessed: 2026-06-30