Infantry Weapons

RPG-29

Also known as
  • РПГ-29
  • 6Г20
  • RPG 29
  • RPG-29 Vampir
  • Vampir
  • SCT-29

The 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-29, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons
Image source: File:RPG-29 USGov.JPG

Role in Conflicts

2006 Lebanon War
Role in conflict
Hezbollah anti-tank and bunker attack weapon

Business Insider, citing wartime reporting, described Hezbollah RPG-29 use against Israeli Merkava tanks, buildings, and personnel during the 2006 Lebanon War.

2014 Gaza War
Role in conflict
Hamas anti-armor weapon

The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point described Hamas anti-tank units in the 2014 Gaza War as fielding RPG-7 and RPG-29 weapons while engaging Israeli armor.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Built by
Bazalt
Type
Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher
Service note
Late Cold War design; in service from 1989
Designer
Bazalt
Designed
Late 1980s
Produced
1989-present

Specifications

Caliber
105 mm
Crew
Two-person team typical; launcher can be shoulder-fired
Launcher weight
11.6 kg without optical and night sights
Loaded weight
About 18.8 kg with rocket
Length
1,850 mm ready to fire; 1,000 mm in travel position
Sighting range
500 m
Lifespan
300 rounds
Ammunition
PG-29V tandem HEAT and TBG-29V thermobaric rockets
Penetration
About 650 mm RHA after explosive reactive armor with PG-29V
Timeline

RPG-29 Key Events

  1. Bazalt develops the RPG-29 family

    Commons metadata and reference sources place the RPG-29 in Soviet-era development during the 1980s, with Bazalt as the manufacturer behind the launcher family.

    Sources: Category:RPG-29 - Wikimedia Commons, RPG-29 Vampir

  2. Service entry with the Soviet and Russian army

    Wikimedia Commons category metadata lists 1989 as the service-entry year for the RPG-29 Vampir.

    Sources: Category:RPG-29 - Wikimedia Commons

  3. Documented in Lebanon and Iraq armor attacks

    Business Insider summarized 2006 Lebanon War reporting of Hezbollah RPG-29 use against Israeli armor and buildings, and Iraq War reporting of an RPG-29 attack on a British Challenger 2 in southern Iraq.

    Sources: The US is looking at a major tank upgrade, but a weapon to counter it is already out there

  4. Photographed with a Free Syrian Army fighter

    Business Insider published Reuters imagery identifying a Free Syrian Army fighter with an RPG-29 during fighting at Menagh military airport in northern Aleppo.

    Sources: The US is looking at a major tank upgrade, but a weapon to counter it is already out there

  5. Reported in Donbas shelling evidence

    Censor.NET reported RPG-29/TBG-29V remnants from shelling of Ukrainian troops near Zaitseve, Avdiivka, and Shyrokyne, while a Donbas infantry-weapons overview listed RPG-29 Vampir use among separatist anti-tank weapons.

    Sources: Censor.NET RPG-29 Donbas Report, ChEline Donbas Infantry Weapons

  6. Reported with Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen

    The Washington Institute reported Houthi fielding of Iranian-supplied anti-tank systems including the RPG-29 during the Yemen war.

    Sources: The Saudi-UAE War Effort in Yemen (Part 1): Operation Golden Arrow in Aden

Launcher and Ammunition

The RPG-29 page is best read as a launcher-and-rocket family: official export data describes the reusable launcher, while reference material separates the anti-armor and thermobaric ammunition roles.

ItemFunctionSource-backed detail
RPG-29 launcherReusable shoulder-fired anti-tank launcher105 mm multiple-shot launcher with a 500 m sighting range and a 300-round service life.
PG-29VTandem HEAT roundAnti-armor rocket associated with about 650 mm RHA penetration after explosive reactive armor in reference data.
TBG-29VThermobaric roundFuel-air/thermobaric rocket listed for infantry support and attacks on personnel or structures.

Source labels used here: RPG-29; RPG-29 Vampir.

Media

RPG-29 Images

RPG-29, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: File:ARMY-2017 by Ali Khara 01.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-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.

Sources

RPG-29Publisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Official export product page supporting caliber, range, launcher dimensions, weight, and compatible tandem HEAT and thermobaric rockets. | Accessed: 2026-06-30RPG-29 VampirPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Reference page used to cross-check origin, service entry, Bazalt development and production background, ammunition types, loaded weight, penetration figures, and the SCT-29 local designation. | Accessed: 2026-06-30The US is looking at a major tank upgrade, but a weapon to counter it is already out therePublisher: Business Insider | Note: Directly supports 2006 Lebanon War Hezbollah use of RPG-29s, 2003 Iraq War RPG-29 attacks on coalition tanks, and 2011 Syrian Civil War imagery of a Free Syrian Army fighter with an RPG-29 at Menagh military airport. | Accessed: 2026-06-30The Combat Performance of Hamas in the Gaza War of 2014Publisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Directly supports 2014 Gaza War conflict-use context for Hamas anti-tank units equipped with RPG-7 and RPG-29 weapons during fighting with Israeli armor. | Accessed: 2026-06-30The Saudi-UAE War Effort in Yemen (Part 1): Operation Golden Arrow in AdenPublisher: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy | Note: Directly supports 2014 Yemen Civil War conflict-use context for Houthi fielding of Iranian-supplied anti-tank systems including the RPG-29. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Category:RPG-29 - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Category metadata identifying the weapon as RPG-29 Vampir, listing the Russian transliteration РПГ-29 and Soviet designation 6Г20, and showing 1989 service entry plus Soviet-era background. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014Publisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Background source for the 2014 eastern Ukraine portable anti-tank environment; documents RPG-7, RPG-18, RPG-22, RPG-26, MRO-A, RPO-A, SPG-9, and ATGW use by pro-Russian separatist forces, but does not identify RPG-29 by name. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Censor.NET RPG-29 Donbas ReportPublisher: Censor.NET | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use by Russian-backed forces; reports RPG-29/TBG-29V remnants from shelling of Ukrainian troops near Zaitseve, Avdiivka, and Shyrokyne in August 2016. | Accessed: 2026-07-02ChEline Donbas Infantry WeaponsPublisher: ChEline | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use; Mykhailo Zhyrokhov's Donbas infantry-weapons overview says RPG-29 Vampir use was observed among separatist anti-tank weapons. | Accessed: 2026-07-02RPG used by Hamas, most effective weapon in warPublisher: Ynet News | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: used by Hamas in Gaza; the article says the RPG-29 was operational in Gaza during the conflict. | Accessed: 2026-06-30What can Israel do with the Egypt-Gaza border?Publisher: Israel Hayom | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: transferred to Gaza via the Philadelphi Corridor; the article says improved RPG-29 rockets were uncovered during the current combat effort. | Accessed: 2026-06-30IDF seizes EFPs, RPGs, and other weapons from HamasPublisher: FDD's Long War Journal | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: fielded by Hamas and Gaza-based armed groups; reports IDF-released imagery of a Hamas weapons cache in Gaza that included RPG-29 shoulder-fired anti-tank rockets. | Accessed: 2026-07-04File:ARMY-2017 by Ali Khara 01.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: CC BY 4.0 gallery image of an RPG-29 display at Army-2017. | Accessed: 2026-06-30File:RPG-29 USGov.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a public-domain U.S. government image of an RPG-29 launcher and PG-29V rocket. | Accessed: 2026-06-30